Hartigovská zahrada

Hartigovská zahrada (Hartig Garden) is one of the terraced gardens attached to the southern slope of Prague Castle, tucked between the South Gardens and the walls above Malá Strana. It's a spot where visitors can slow down for a moment during a Castle tour and take in the city from a quieter angle than the crowded courtyards offer.

Where does the name come from and how old is the garden?

The garden was founded in 1670 by Isabela Švihovská of Salm. By the turn of the 18th century it had acquired the basic Baroque layout still recognizable today: two terraces connected by a staircase. The name comes from the Hartig family, who took over the adjoining palace and garden around 1720. Count Josef Hartig was a well-known patron of music, and it was during his time that the garden gained a two-story Baroque music pavilion, attributed to the architect Giovanni Battista Alliprandi.

How did the garden change over the centuries?

For a long stretch, the garden remained a private extension of the surrounding palaces before eventually coming under the administration of the Castle. In 1960, Hartigovská zahrada was formally incorporated into the South Gardens complex of Prague Castle, becoming part of the larger, continuous garden stretch along the southern slope of the Castle hill. Its present appearance is the result of a thorough reconstruction carried out between 1963 and 1965, designed by architects Richard Podzemný and Adolf Benš, who gave it a form better suited to visitor access while preserving the Baroque character of its terraces and stairways.

Is the garden open to visitors?

For more than a decade, Hartigovská zahrada was closed to the public. That changed in 2026, when the garden reopened for visitors. During the tourist season, running from March to October, admission is free, making it one of the few no-cost green spaces in the immediate vicinity of the Castle.

What is there to see on site?

The main architectural highlight remains the Baroque music pavilion, a remnant of the Hartig family's musical patronage and the social life of Prague's aristocracy three centuries ago. The terraced composition itself, with its connecting staircase, rewards visitors with both garden details and views over the surrounding walls and the rooftops of Malá Strana. Though modest in size compared to the neighboring South Gardens, the garden offers an intimate atmosphere rarely found so close to one of the most visited historic sites in the Czech Republic.

Frequently asked questions

Who founded Hartigovská zahrada? The garden was founded in 1670 by Isabela Švihovská of Salm, gaining its Baroque form around the turn of the 18th century.

Where does the garden's name come from? From the Hartig family, who took over the estate around 1720; Count Josef Hartig was a music patron, and the garden's music pavilion dates from his time.

When was the garden joined to the South Gardens? In 1960, with its current form dating from a 1963–1965 reconstruction designed by Richard Podzemný and Adolf Benš.

Is admission to the garden free? Yes, since its 2026 reopening, admission during the March-to-October season is free.

What is the garden's main attraction? The two-story Baroque music pavilion attributed to Giovanni Battista Alliprandi, built during the Hartig family's ownership.