Prague Castle will open its summer tourist season on Friday 1st of April. In addition to the main visitor buildings, part of Prague Castle Gardens will also be open to the public after the winter break.
Do you like to know which ones? Here they are:
Royal Garden, originally Renaissance garden founded in 1534 became one of the few quiet places in the centre of Prague. The garden is located on the site of old medieval vineyards, which later became famous for its rare botanical specimens and the exotic plants gained from distant countries. From the very beginning, there were a number of buildings serving as the entertainment for the nobility: the Ball Game Hall, the Royal Summer Palace and the Lion Court. Currently the garden follows the tradition of an "English-style" park created there in the mid 19th century, but it also contains elements of Renaissance character (giardinetto near the Royal Summer Palace) as well as Baroque elements (ornamental flower beds).
The Stag Moat is a natural ravine of the Brusnice stream. It was originally used for defensive purposes of the Prague Castle. Its slopes were kept bare and later only grapevine was allowed to be planted here. It got its name because of breeding of deer here in the 17th century. There is a curiosity - during his visit, the Habsburg Emperor Charles VI was shooting deer directly from the windows of Spanish Hall. Powder Bridge was built in 1771 and devided the moat into upper and lower part. The upper part was in the 1st Republic period used for breeding the bears, because president Masaryk got them as a present from the legionaries from Siberia. Unfortunatelly their breeding was over at the beginning of 1960s. However, the Stag Moat will not be open in the whole length this year, visitors will only be able to walk through its upper part.
The South Gardens were established gradually on the location of bulwarks beneath Prague Castle. The South Gardens are nearly 500 metres long and they are comprised of three smaller gardens – Paradise Garden, Garden on the Ramparts and Hartig Garden.
The last renovation in 2012 restored their original appearance from 1920's when they were renovated by the Slovenian architekt Josip Plečnik for the first Czechoslovak president T. G. Masaryk. There will be a panel exhibition on the life and work of this important Slovenian native in the Terezian wing of the Old Royal Palace, under Plečnik's viewpoint and in the outdoor spaces of the Castle grounds, in places associated with his work.
From 1 April to 31 October, the Prague Castle grounds will be open to the public daily from 06:00 to 22:00, and the visitor facilities will be open daily from 09:00 to 17:00. The Great South Tower of St. Vitus Cathedral, exhibition spaces and gardens will be open until 18:00.
