The Gardens of Petřín Hill

Petřín hill lies in Prague 1 and Prague 5, between Malá Strana, Smíchov and Strahov. It is made up of seven historic gardens, each with a different landscape character.

Right at the top lies the park below the Petřín Lookout Tower, which has served as a promenade since the end of the 19th century and is dominated by the tower itself. Other historic buildings can be found here too, such as the Church of St Lawrence and the well-known mirror maze.

Nebozízek orchard on the eastern slope is laid out as an English-style park, planted here and there with perennials and bulbs and bounded to the south by the Hunger Wall. In the middle of the greenery visitors will find the famous statue of the poet K. H. Mácha.

The neighbouring Seminary Garden is largely an orchard, with plenty of apple, sour cherry, almond and cherry plum trees. A popular large playground by the funicular is available to visitors.

Lobkowicz Garden on the northern side of the hill is essentially a forest park. Here you will find fragments of an early 18th-century baroque garden and a statue of the poet Jaroslav Vrchlický.

The Great Strahov Garden is also an orchard, with pears and apples predominating, but also sweet chestnuts and service trees. In the past, the St John vineyard was established along its northern wall.

The Rose Garden was planted at the top of Petřín in the 1930s and holds a rosarium of some 8,000 rose bushes.

The last of the Petřín gardens, Kinský Garden, grew out of the original vineyards planted by the Kinský summer palace and covers the southern slope of Petřín. It, too, has an English character, with perennial plantings and several romantic features such as ponds and the wooden Church of St Michael. In front of the summer palace there is a well-kept lawn parterre.

The gardens are also home to three memorial trees (Acer campestre – field maple, Fraxinus excelsior – European ash and Platanus acerifolia – London plane). The adits and springs, such as Petřínka and Hřebenka, are also worth a mention.

The gardens are used above all for walks and relaxation. There is a marked cycle route for cyclists, and children can enjoy five playgrounds with play and fitness equipment.