Kolovratská zahrada

The Kolovrat Garden is one of six terraced palace gardens climbing the steep slope beneath Prague Castle, tucked directly behind the Kolovrat Palace on Valdštejnská Street. Small in scale — covering only around 0.07 hectares — it nonetheless forms part of a historically significant green belt that runs along the foot of the castle, joining the neighboring Ledebour Garden, the Small and Large Pálffy Gardens, and the Small and Large Fürstenberg Gardens to create one of Malá Strana's most picturesque backdrops.

Why is it called the Kolovrat Garden?

The garden takes its name directly from the adjoining Kolovrat Palace. Its site was originally part of the city's medieval fortifications — specifically one of the bastions that, once its defensive role became obsolete, was reinforced with retaining walls and converted into a fruit-growing terrace. This transformation of former fortification land into cultivated, terraced greenery was a common pattern among Prague's palace gardens from the 17th century onward, as the aristocracy repurposed defensive slopes into representative, if often practical, garden spaces.

How is the garden laid out?

The garden's central axis is a narrow, straight staircase linking seven terraces that rise from roughly 192 to 225 meters above sea level. This sequence of stepped levels gives the garden its distinctive cascading rhythm, and a walk up through it reveals shifting views over the rooftops of Malá Strana and the towers of the castle above. In the eastern part of the garden stands a Baroque fountain topped with a spouting head — one of the few ornamental features in a space that, for most of its history, served a strictly practical purpose.

What grows here?

True to the terraces' original orchard function, the garden still preserves plantings of fruit trees — medlars, pears, and apricots grow among the terraces. This choice of vegetation sets the Kolovrat Garden apart from the more ornamental, flower-focused compositions found in some of the neighboring palace gardens, and keeps alive its origin as a working urban orchard rather than a purely decorative space.

Is the garden protected, and when did it open to visitors?

The Kolovrat Garden has been listed as a protected cultural monument since 1964, together with the adjoining Kolovrat Palace, recognizing its historical and architectural value. For a long time, however, it remained closed to the general public. Only after extensive reconstruction and revitalization of the whole garden complex did it open its gates to visitors in 2000, becoming part of the walking route through the palace gardens below Prague Castle.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Kolovrat Garden located? It lies on a steep slope behind the Kolovrat Palace and the Small Fürstenberg Palace on Valdštejnská Street in Prague's Malá Strana district.

How many terraces does the garden have? Its layout consists of seven terraces connected by a narrow, straight staircase.

What is the garden's main ornamental feature? A Baroque fountain with a spouting head, located in the eastern part of the garden.

Since when has the garden been open to the public? It opened to visitors in 2000, following extensive reconstruction and revitalization.

Is the garden a protected monument? Yes, it has been protected as a cultural monument since 1964, together with the Kolovrat Palace.