Obora Hvězda is a woodland wonderland, an enclave of greenery closed off from outsiders. If you walk right down from its’ entrance, you will encounter Letohrádek Hvězda, a star-shaped Renaissance palace for the summer (‘hvězda’ translates as: ‘star’ in Czech) which used to belong to the Arch-duke Ferdinand from Tyrol, who constructed it for his spouse. The park surrounding this was his own personal area for hunting. If you enter the chateau, you will find picturesque plaster works by artists from Italy and a display depicting the White Mountain Battle (‘Bílá Hora’) that happened close-by. Whereas you will notice people walking around here and children out on the big grass field near the chateau’s front door, move out into the woodland sidewalks, and you will believe you’ve got the area to yourself. Near to Hvězda (in Břevnov), Ladroaka is a paradise for in-line skater’s and features open-top restaurants, beach volleyball and bowling.
Do not miss Vitkov, in Žižkov, for the renowned hill with its’ National Memorial and awesome views of Prague. Vinohradý’s nineteenth-century park, Havlíčkovy Sady (also called Grébovka by locals), is most famous for the wine-bar pavilion/restaurants and vine-yards.
To get a moment of peace away from the busy Wenceslas Square, these Franciscan Gardens are bordered by rose bushes and have many bench spaces along with a children’s playground.
Vrtba Gardens, an Italian-Baroque terraced garden situated in Lesser Town, is embellished with award-winning flower beds and original statue-decorated stair-wells. The views of Lesser Town from the pinnacle of the garden are wonderful (be aware that you may need to purchase an admission ticket to enter.). Once you have toured the castle of Prague, take a break at Wallenstein Gardens, a peaceful area with 3 fountains made from marble and a pond with fish and a small islet.
