Vrtba Garden in Prague

This terraced Baroque garden in the Italian style is situated on Petřín hill. Although just a few steps away from Lesser Town Square and Charles Bridge, finding it requires a great deal of attention. Passers-by tend to miss the garden’s entrance, however, if you make the Vrtba Garden your destination and pay attention to the signposts, you will find it. A bit of looking around is certainly worth it . This Baroque beauty is cut off from the hustle and bustle of the nearby tourist destinations by high walls and buildings. Thanks to them you will feel as if you were in a different, grand, ornate and perfect world.

The Garden of the Gardens

The Count of Vrtba, Jan Josef, the supreme burgrave of Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) had the garden built near his palace between 1715-1720. František Maxmilián Kaňka designed it for him in a way that would please the Count’s eye and soul, while the famous Matthias Bernard Braun (Matyáš Bernard Braun) created the sculptures.

The palace, which is adjacent to the garden, underwent many changes over the centuries, however, the garden did maintain its original style. At the beginning of the 1990s it then underwent extensive restoration work, and is now under the ownership of Prague. It is also one of the Prague landmarks that are protected by their inclusion on the World Heritage UNESCO list.

Still, that does not prevent various social events from being held in the garden. The gallery serves as a display of contemporary and foreign artists’ work. This exclusive area can be used as a venue for parties or wedding ceremonies. The ceremonial lighting of the garden, that takes place twice a year, – at the beginning and the end of the season - is also very popular. Special access is granted to the guests of the adjacent hotel Aria who can enter the garden directly from their apartments.

What next?

The Vrtba Garden is part of the group of gardens at the foot of Petřín, where the Vratislav (Vratislavská), Schönbrun (Schönbrunská) and Lobkowicz (Lobkowická) Gardens can also be found. However, you will also find certain Baroque gems with their terraces, fountains, water fountain basins and loggias in the Gardens beneath Prague Castle (Zahrady pod Pražským hradem).

Your day would just fly by strolling in all of the gardens. If you wish to go even further to see some more garden art, go to Průhonice. This spectacular chateau and large gardens with unique plants are also on the UNESCO list, even though they are outside of Prague its self. Another area that is admired by many is the Troja Garden and Chateau (zahrada a zámek v Troji), which you can reach by walking through the largest of Prague’s parks - Stromovka. And you will also find another garden there – the zoological garden. The Zoo is regularly rated as one of the best in the world, therefore it is certainly worth paying it a visit. For now you can read about it here.