Stromovka

Stromovka: what to do?

You can simply go for a walk in Stromovka and sit on the benches and relax in the lovely rose garden or admire the wonderful view of the Vice Regent’s Summer Palace. Lovers of active movement will be at home here: fans of Nordic Walking regularly meet here, and some paths are open for bikes or in-line skating. You can also just sit or lie down in the grass on the banks of one of the four ponds, have something nice to eat at the bistro Vozovna, take your children to the playground, or enjoy an interesting show at the Planetarium on the eastern edge of the park. A pleasant walk through Stromovka will also take you to the Prague Zoo. Just go over the Trojan footbridge and Caesar’s Island to the other side of the Vltava River.

The most secretive engineering landmark in Prague

The times when Stromovka was used for hunting game also included a historic mine works. Near the former Šlechtova Restaurant is the water house with a portal and crown stamped into the rock. This is the opening of the underground Rudolf tunnels, one of Prague’s oldest water conduits. It was built by Emperor Rudolf II in the late 16th century to provide clean flowing drinking water for the animals in Stromovka. The tunnel measures 1102 meters, reaches no higher than 160 cm in some places and is only about 70 cm at its narrowest point. This most secretive of Prague’s engineering heritage is accessible only in exceptional cases, and then it is only safe for just the first few dozen meters.