Crazy4Prague

Prague Parks and Gardens




Prague has numerous parks and gardens, both in and outside of the center, so there is always a peaceful place nearby to escape the crowds and noise of the city or to take your children if they need a break. Some, such as the Petřín Park or Havlíčkovy Sady, include children's playgrounds. Many of the gardens in Prague's historical center have been restored, including the gardens below the Prague Castle.
There are some of the parks and gardens you can include in your walks around the historical center, like Franciscan Garden, Petřín Hill, Vrtba Garden.
The following parks, instead, are just outside the center and are mainly popular with local residents: Havlíčkovy Sady, Letná Hill, Riegrovy Sady. Each of the parks has something special to offer.

Franciscan Garden (Františkánská zahrada)

New Town, Prague 1
The charming Franciscan Garden finds itself tucked between Jungmannovo Square, Wenceslas Square, Vodičkova and Palackého streets in the heart of the New Town. It is a lovely setting right next to the Church of Virgin Mary of the Snows, and a welcome oasis of calm in the middle of the bustling city center. The garden offers a pleasant alternate route between Jungmannovo náměstí Národní třída and Wenceslas Square. The area already served as a garden in the 14th century when the New Town was being built. It was completely restored in the early 1990s and now serves as a public garden with benches, trees and lots of rose bushes.

Petřín Hill

Lesser Town, Prague 1
The Petřín hill (formerly one of King Charles' vineyards) offers beautiful views of Prague and several attractions for adults and children alike. The hill is easily recognizable by the TV tower that is a miniature of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. You can climb the tower for views and enjoy some other activities while up at Petřín.
To get to the top of the hill, you can either walk to get some exercise (it's a bit of a steep hike along a wooded path), or take the funicular. If you walk, you can stop by the statue of Karel Hynek Mácha, the great Czech romantic poet and author of the love poem Máj (May). The statue is now a meeting place of lovers on May 1st, the unofficial "day of love" in the Czech Republic.

Vrtba Garden

Lesser Town, Prague 1
The Vrtba Garden (Vrtbovská zahrada) in Lesser Town dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. This Italian-style terraced Baroque garden is a quiet oasis in the center of the city and one of the most beautiful gardens in Prague. The best time to visit is in the spring and summer when the flowers are in bloom.
The Vrtba Garden is an architectonically unique complex of precisely designed flower beds and large staircases that are adorned with statues of ancient Roman gods and goddesses. The fact that the garden lies on a slope makes it attractive for yet another reason - the exquisite view of Lesser Town from the viepoint on the top of the garden.
The Vrtbovská zahrada underwent eight years of restorations in the 1990s and was opened to the public in 1998.

Havlíčkovy Sady

Vinohrady, Prague 2
Havlíčkovy sady is Prague's second largest park and is located directly across from Riegrovy sady (on a map, not physically) on the other side of Vinohrady, at the border with the Vršovice district.

Letná Hill

Letná, Prague 7
The Letná Hill is the one with the strange metronome on top, which you can see clearly from in front of the Hotel Intercontinental at the end of Pařížská Street, or simply from the Dvořákovo nábřeží embankment. Some areas of the park, including around the metronome, are surprisingly unmaintained and messy, whereas other areas are taken care of and landscaped.

Riegrovy Sady

Vinohrady, Prague 2
Riegrovy sady is a pleasant park stretching between the Italská, Chopinova, Polská, and Vozová streets on the northern edge of Vinohrady, at the border with Žižkov. It is close to walk to from Vinohradská and Slavíkova streets and from the Jiřího z Poděbrad Square. The park is named after 19th-century Czech politician František Ladislav Rieger whose statue is the work of Josef Václav Myslbek from 1913. Riegrovy sady was established in 1904 - 1908 as an
English-style public garden and included a popular observation terrace, which has since deteriorated and is not in use.