Our tour around the gorgeous city of Prague continues with yet another visit to a beauty spot accessible to all, this one is more of a quick stop but one I wanted to extoll the virtues of, as it is easily missed on your way to the glory that is Prague castle. Wallenstein Garden, or Wallenstein depending on where you look, sits in the shadow of the grand hill the castle sits atop of, but it is no less amazing in its own regard - a perfect little garden loop in front of the magnificent palace of the same name. It is no less important either, with the palace forming the meeting place of the Senate! It is a great visit and another example of Prague's exemplary preservation of green spaces within the city centre. Without further adieu, let's get you to Wallenstein Garden.
Getting to Wallenstein Garden shouldn't be too difficult, as most folks making a visit to the city will inevitably end up wanting to see the castle at some point - I've covered getting there in its respective article. Still, I will reiterate it here to save you a visit to that article (of course, I wholeheartedly recommend you see the castle, so if you haven't planned that trip then you should absolutely do so at the same time). Getting there on foot is pretty straightforward, the gardens sit just North West of the Old Town, across the river - when visiting the castle we mentioned heading up Klárov alongside the train line until you reach the Old Castle Stairs, just before those stairs are the entrance to Wallenstein Garden, pass by the glass-fronted building at the junction here and up the corner, where you will enter into the start of today's exploration. Public transportation is able to drop you almost directly outside the gardens, with the tram and underground unloading at the Malostranská stop directly on the gardens. Parking is practically non-existent directly in the area, so you may have to travel from further away in the city if you plan to drive in.
As you enter into Wallenstein Garden you are immediately hit with a beautiful pool with the central Herkulova fontána, Hercules Fountain, with the waters full of gargantuan koi framed by Prague Castle. Right off the bat, you are in a little slice of paradise, so if you have already taken on the climb to the castle and back then this is a great place to take a load off and relax, watching the fish swim by hopefully on a sunny day. A lap of the pool at least is worth your time, it is only a quick lap, and when you are done you can continue to discover the garden's further beauty spots and as you travel you might even encounter a peacock or two.
Beyond the pools and fountains, Wallenstein Gardens has tall conifer rows with plenty of secluded spaces to enjoy these beauty spots all to yourself. Before long, you will progress through the hedgerows and discover the stunning sightlines to Wallenstein Palace - this is the home of the Czech Republic's senate and a picture-perfect building well worth a snap or two. That being said, if you were brought here by various posts on social media then the gardens and the palace probably didn't motivate you quite as much as the incredible dripstone wall! The dripstone wall sits adjacent to the palace's main square, up the furthest reaches of Wallenstein Garden and looms above with its strange and surreal facade. The dripstone wall appears to be an amalgamation of faces and silhouettes - a plaque at the site describes "The Grotto" as being built by Albrecht von Wallenstein, with the artificial rocks of the dripstone wall forming the most important element. The aim was to include images of frogs, snakes monsters and grotesquely formed faces in the recesses of the wall. The artificial walls flank the aviary, and as a feature of a garden, it certainly is the star of the show. We continued back a little ways up the gardens before exiting via one of the side entrances - happy with our brief adventure into these beautiful palace grounds!
The Wallenstein Gardens are a little gem within the city of Prague and the ideal accompaniment to an already exploring adventurer looking for more to add on to a jam-packed day. Given its location, it goes without saying that this should be coupled with a trip to Prague Castle and I think this is the ideal 1-2 for a great day out, especially on a hot day where the ascent to the castle is a tough one, the cool shade of the gardens are a welcome escape! The gardens were great, well worth your time and something I would absolutely tack on to anyone's visit to Prague if they find themselves nearby.
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