Wallenstein Palace Gardens (Valdstejnská Zahrada)

The basics

You can marvel at the gardens surrounding the Baroque Wallenstein Palace as part of a walking tour of Prague’s Mala Straná (Lower Town) that takes in the nearby Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral, or opt for a tour through the city’s top baroque and Renaissance gardens to also admire the lush Vrtba Garden and Royal Gardens. With its fish pond and aviary, the garden is a popular stop on family-friendly itineraries and provides a delightful backdrop for photography tours.

Things to know before you go

• Be sure to bring your camera to capture the enormous grotto dotted with hidden animals and grotesque faces, replica bronzes of mythological heroes lining the avenue, and a fountain designed by Adrian de Vries.
• Visitors must stick to the walking paths, so keep a close eye on young children when touring.
• Today Wallenstein Palace is home to the Czech Senate and is only open occasionally for guided tours; the gardens, however, are open to the public year-round.
• In summer, concerts are held under the palace’s frescoed loggia overlooking the gardens.
• The garden paths are not paved but are well-maintained and easy to navigate with a wheelchair.

How to get there

The gardens are located just below Prague’s castle in the Mala Straná (Lower Town) on the left bank of the River Vltava. Reach the gardens on foot or via line A of the metro; enter through the main entrance on Letenská, a secondary entrance beside Malostranská metro station, or directly through the Wallenstein Palace.

When to get there

Visit the Wallenstein Palace Gardens on a clear, mild day to fully appreciate the estate’s elegance and an array of statuary and decorative follies. The park can be rather drab in the winter months, but is a delightfully lush spot the rest of the year.

The History of Wallenstein Palace and Its Gardens

This 17th-century palace and garden were built by military commander Albrecht von Wallenstein, who achieved great success during the Thirty Years War of 1618–48. He used his wealth to create an extraordinary garden around the palace, filled with fountains and Mannerist bronzes created by the Dutch sculptor Adrian de Vries. The grounds were completed in 1630, but Von Wallenstein was murdered four years later at the command of Emperor Ferdinand II, who felt threatened by his power.