Folimanka

Folimanka is a park in Prague 2, squeezed into the narrow valley of the Botič stream between Vinohrady, Nusle and the New Town, right beneath the concrete span of the Nusle Bridge. It's an unusual mix for a city-centre park: medieval fortification walls, a Brutalist sports hall from the 1970s, and the entrance to a Cold War nuclear shelter, all within a few hundred metres of each other.

Where does the park's name come from?

The story goes back to the 14th century, when the slopes of the Botič valley were covered with vineyards belonging to a Prague burgher named Jakub Foliman — the park still carries his name today. The earliest written mention of the site appears in vineyard registers from 1353. Over the following centuries the valley also picked up a folk nickname, "Jamtál" (Valley of Lament), a legacy of the Hussite Wars and the Thirty Years' War that swept through the area between Karlov and Vyšehrad.

How did a vineyard become an English-style park?

Around the turn of the 19th century, Baron Jakub Wimmer converted the local estate into an English-style landscape park, laying out new paths and planting fruit trees. The manor house that once stood here survived until the mid-20th century: after World War I it briefly served as a children's orthopaedic pavilion, then fell into disrepair and was demolished in the 1960s. The area took its current shape as a public park during preparations for the Nusle Bridge, completed in 1973 — lawns, fountains and playgrounds followed.

What can you see in the park today?

The most unusual attraction is the Folimanka underground shelter, hidden beneath the eastern part of the park — a maze of concrete corridors still holding original equipment: air filtration units, emergency supplies and the diesel generator that once powered the whole facility. It's open to the public once a month, on a Saturday, from 9 am to 3 pm, free of charge.

Above ground, the Brutalist Folimanka Sports Hall, built in 1972–76, dominates the site and is used today mainly by amateur basketball clubs. The park also has a skatepark and playgrounds for children.

Folimanka doubles as a small open-air sculpture gallery: "The Bear Family" by Václav Frydecký (1976), "The Three" by Bohumil Zemánek (1974), and a striking installation by Krištof Kintera, "At Their Own Discretion – Memento Mori" (2011) — a bent street lamp pointing its light up to the sky, commemorating people who took their own lives by jumping from the Nusle Bridge above.

Entering the park from its upper end, visitors pass a stretch of Prague's historic New Town fortification walls, built in the 14th century under Charles IV alongside the founding of the New Town itself.

How do you get to Folimanka?

The park is within easy walking distance of Vyšehrad metro station (line C) and of I. P. Pavlova station, from where a path follows the Botič stream down into the valley. Trams running along Bělehradská street also stop close by, at the Bruselská stop right next to one of the park entrances.

Frequently asked questions

Is entry to the park free? Yes, the park is open to the public year-round at no charge.

Can you visit the nuclear shelter? Yes, but only on designated Saturdays, once a month, from 9 am to 3 pm, and admission is free.

Is the park suitable for a walk with children? Yes — it has playgrounds, a skatepark and large lawns for running around, with some tree shade along the valley slopes.

How much time should I plan for a visit? A walk through the park itself takes about 30–45 minutes; add an extra hour if you plan to visit the underground shelter.