Wherever I travel I like to find a public garden to visit. Prague proved a little more difficult especially in late October, but then I read about the Wallenstein Gardens designed in the Italian style with a sala terrena (a garden pavilion), a grotto, an aviary and an artificial lake with an island.
The statues you see in the garden are replicas.¹ The original statues were taken as spoils of war by the Swedes during the Thirty Years’ War in the seventeenth century.
They also took a statue of Venus by Benedikt Wurzelbauer which is the only one to have been returned. A copy of it and all the other sculptures have been replaced in the garden.
The garden lies in the middle of a beautiful Baroque complex, hidden behind a variety of buildings in Malá Strana. It is free to enter and is a peaceful place to get away from the madding crowds and sit for a while. Peacocks roam the grounds among the many sculptures.
At one end is the Wallenstein Palace which houses the Czech Senate. The palace has a remarkable loggia with painted ceiling (header photo) and at the other end is the Wallenstein Riding School though you won’t find any horses here now.
Today, it houses the meeting room and the National Gallery. It hosts various exhibitions of both Czech and international artists throughout the year. Next to the Wallenstein Riding School is a fish pond with koi, pike, and other ornamental fish, a fountain and statue in the middle. Feel free to feed the ducks.
A bizarre part of the garden (and one which I had noticed from the castle) is an enormous stalactite grey wall with hidden creatures among what looks like dripping mud.
During the summer season, the public can watch live concerts and performances here.
¹In the years 1625 and 1626, a collection of bronze statues and sculptural groups by significant Dutch sculptor Adrian de Vries, depicting antique gods and horses, one of the highlights of Mannerist sculpture was placed there. The Palace has been looted twice: at the end of the Thirty Years’ War in 1648 by mercenaries of the Swedish general Königsmark and during the War of the Austrian Succession in 1742 when the French established a depot there. The Swedes took all the sculptures to Sweden in 1648 where they are located at Drootningholm Palace.
TRAVEL WORDS 
that sounds like a great idea. We worked till pension age then did lot travelling 3 times around Australia. And yes it’s a big country.
It’s a busy city, so this is a nice calm space.
Well, that was an interesting walk around. Odd grotto, but it would be a good place for a concert. Hadn’t really thought about Prague in the summer. Hot, I imagine!
Definitely a great place for an open air concert. That’s another great thing about the city if you are interested in classical music, there are several music halls.
😁🩷
I was hoping for a better grotto. I have always wanted one on my place and know just the spot
I didn’t take close up photos of the grotto, but it has all sorts of animals, reptiles and faces in it. You just need some mud and imagination 😁
The grotto I imagine, is more of a small cave. I saw the various faces and designs on the wall which are so good
Ah, yes, I understand. I’m always fascinated by the shell grottos.
That looks a fabulous retreat from a hectic city crowd.
Not really my sort of garden. But I was intrigued by the grotto which I had spotted from above. And it was peaceful.
I missed that during our short visit to Prague, but it was too cold at the time for a lot of ‘wandering’.
Best wishes, Pete. x
It closes at the end of October until spring.
What a strange looking wall. What was it actually made from? Magnificent statues
It is an artificial stalactite cave (grotta), made from lime stucco – roof trusses were used as the cores of the stalactites. Quite bizarre.
You’ve offered many reasons to visit Prague. The city should pay you a publicity royalty.
I think Prague is pretty well known for many reasons. The best is yet to come.
A lovely garden although the stalactite wall is a little bizarre! I bet a lot of visitors to Prague don’t even know this is here.
It’s well hidden, but I noticed the grotto from the castle above so made a point of finding out what it was. Prague is a wonderful city for exploring.
We were there in 1979, when it was still behind the Iron Curtain – our first foreign holiday together! I know for sure it’s changed a lot since then but the beauty of the old buildings is a constant 🙂
Oh, gosh, yes. The architecture. There will be more on that.
That stalactite wall is most strange – looks as if it should be growing, like some kind of hedge!
It’s quite bizarre. I didn’t spend much time examining it, but there are animals and faces hidden.
Like the garden, but like the ceiling better!
Yes, the frescoes are amazing. Not my sort of garden really, but it was interesting.