The Garden's Origins and Albrecht of Wallenstein
The garden was created in parallel with the construction of Wallenstein Palace between 1623 and 1629, conceived from the outset as a representational space intended to elevate its owner to the level of a sovereign. Albrecht of Wallenstein, imperial commander-in-chief and one of the most powerful men of his age, had the complex built on the site of twenty-five Malá Strana houses, gardens and a brickyard — a compound designed to rival Prague Castle in both scale and magnificence. Covering more than fourteen thousand square metres, the garden remains the second largest in Prague's historic centre to this day, surpassed only by the castle gardens.
The project was entrusted to a group of Italian architects including Giovanni Pieroni, Andrea Spezza and Nicolo Sebregondi. The garden was composed from the beginning in the Italian Mannerist style, and Wallenstein himself took an active interest in its design — as evidenced by surviving letters from the sculptor Adrian de Vries, who noted that the garden's founder regularly contributed his own proposals and suggestions.
The Sala Terrena and the Garden's Decoration
The focal point of the entire complex is the sala terrena, a monumental open structure that had no equal among Prague's palace gardens when it was built. It was originally conceived as a space where the palace's living quarters extended outward into nature, and as a venue for celebrations and musical performances. The interior decoration follows on from that of the palace itself: thirty-two painted scenes drawn primarily from classical mythology, the work of followers of the Italian painter Baccio del Bianca.
The garden's sculptural programme was created by Adrian de Vries, a Dutch sculptor who had previously worked at the court of Rudolf II. De Vries fused the aesthetics of late Mannerism with the dynamism of emerging Baroque to produce a group of bronze figures of exceptional quality. In 1648, however, Swedish forces carried them off as war spoils to Drottningholm, where they remain to this day. Bronze copies depicting Neptune, Venus with Cupid, Apollo, Bacchus, Laocoön and His Sons, wrestlers and other mythological figures were installed in their place between 1910 and 1913. In the smaller section of the garden stands a large pool with an artificial island, topped by a statue of Hercules.
The Grotto Wall
A highlight in its own right is the artificial grotto wall along the garden's southern side. This remarkable composition of simulated cave formations contains something that makes it particularly compelling from a Brownian perspective: a careful visitor can make out the silhouettes of animals, frogs, snakes, and grimacing human faces hidden within the stone. The garden thus offers literally concealed messages inscribed in rock, invisible to anyone who does not look closely enough. An aviary housing eagle owls is set into the wall beside the grotto.
The Garden Through the Centuries
In the eighteenth century the garden underwent a significant transformation, being almost entirely planted with trees and threaded with a network of small paths in keeping with the era's taste for naturalistic parkland. Further substantial changes came in the 1950s, when the large pool was restored among other interventions. Since 1996 the garden has formed part of the seat of the Senate of the Czech Republic, which undertook an extensive restoration of the entire Wallenstein complex at the turn of the millennium and opened it to the public. The sensitive renovation removed inappropriate later additions and returned the garden to its historical character.
The sculptor Adrian de Vries, whose work made the garden famous, is buried nearby, in the Church of St Thomas on Malá Strana.
Wildlife and Plants
A defining feature of the garden today is its peacocks, both Indian and white, which have been kept here since 2000 and raise chicks most springs. The large pool is home to koi carp, catfish, pike and sterlet. Wild ducks and moorhens are regular visitors, and the aviary by the grotto wall houses great eagle owls. Notable trees include a maidenhair tree, a London plane and fig trees brought from Turkey.
Visitor Information
Getting There and Opening Hours
The Wallenstein Garden is located in Malá Strana, with entrances from Letenská Street and from Valdštejnské náměstí No. 4. It is open free of charge from April to October, on weekdays from 7:30 am, at weekends from 10:00 am, until 7:00 pm during summer (June–September) and until 6:00 pm in the remaining months. The garden is closed in winter. Dogs are not permitted.
Getting There by Public Transport
The nearest metro station is Malostranská (Line A), from which the garden is a short walk along Valdštejnská Street. Trams 12, 18, 20, 22 and 57 also stop nearby, alight at Malostranská, or at Malostranské náměstí and walk via Tomášská Street.
Cultural Events
During the summer season the sala terrena hosts the free public concerts of the Cultural Summer festival, along with other music and theatre events. The adjacent Wallenstein Riding School serves as an exhibition venue for the National Gallery.