Herkules

Hercules is a bronze statue standing on an artificial island in the middle of a large pond in Wallenstein Garden (Valdštejnská zahrada) in Prague's Malá Strana district. It shows the mythological hero raising his club over a many-headed hydra at his feet — one of the garden's most recognizable sculptural features, alongside its famous sala terrena and artificial grotto.

Where exactly is the statue located?

The figure stands on an island in the middle of the pool within the garden section of the former residence of Albrecht von Wallenstein, a complex that today borders the seat of the Senate of the Czech Republic. Four smaller statues with mascarons (gargoyle-like faces) are placed around the pond, completing the water feature.

Who designed the original?

The original group of sculptures — the Hercules figure together with four pairs of bronze statues of gods and horses — was created by Adriaen de Vries (1545–1626), a Dutch sculptor active at the court of Emperor Rudolf II, who lived in Malá Strana himself. De Vries ranked among the leading Mannerist sculptors in Central Europe at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, and his work for Prague reflected the artistic ambitions of the Rudolfine era.

What happened to the original statue?

The originals never survived on site. In 1648, in the final months of the Thirty Years' War, Swedish troops captured Prague and carried off de Vries's sculptures as war booty. The originals were taken to Sweden, where they remain today.

So where does the statue seen in the garden today come from?

What visitors to Wallenstein Garden see today is a 19th-century copy. The cast was made in Hermann Bergmann's workshop in Stockholm, commissioned by Arnošt František von Wallenstein, a descendant of the family who wanted to restore the sculptural decoration the garden had lost two centuries earlier.

What does the statue depict?

The composition captures a moment of combat — Hercules raises his club, ready to strike the hydra lying at his feet. The figure is placed centrally on a small island so it can be viewed from the paths surrounding the pond on every side. The pool with the statue is one of the garden's main viewpoints and a popular subject for visitors' photos.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the original Adriaen de Vries statue?

No. The original was taken to Sweden in 1648 as war booty after the capture of Prague. What stands in the garden today is a 19th-century copy cast in Hermann Bergmann's workshop in Stockholm.

Where exactly in Prague is the statue?

In Wallenstein Garden (Valdštejnská zahrada) in Malá Strana, on an artificial island in the middle of a large pond within the garden of Albrecht von Wallenstein's former residence.

What does the statue show?

Hercules raising his club over a many-headed hydra at his feet — a scene from one of the hero's mythological labors.

Are there other statues around it?

Yes, the pond is surrounded by four smaller statues with mascarons, together forming a unified water feature with the Hercules figure.

Who commissioned the copy visible today?

The copy was commissioned by Arnošt František von Wallenstein and cast in the 19th century in Hermann Bergmann's workshop in Stockholm.