Lobkovická zahrada

Lobkovická zahrada (Lobkowicz Garden) is one of the most picturesque terraced palace gardens on Prague's Malá Strana side, climbing the northern slope of Petřín Hill right behind the palace that today houses the German Embassy. Although its name is tied to the Lobkowicz family, the story of the site actually begins with a different aristocrat entirely.

Where does the name come from, and who shaped the garden we see today?

The estate was founded by Count František Karel Přehořovský z Kvasejovic, who at the end of the 17th century obtained imperial permission to buy an existing house known as "U Tří mušketýrů" and replace it with a grand palace accompanied by a symmetrical garden. It was only in the mid-18th century, once the property passed to Augustin Josef Lobkowicz, that the estate acquired the name still used today. Under the Lobkowicz family the palace and garden underwent a major transformation: a Baroque garden of Italian type was laid out along the same axis as the palace façade by the gardener Jan Jiří Kapula. The terraces, staircases and strict geometric divisions typical of this style were meant to underline the palace's representative character and make the garden feel like a natural continuation of its interiors.

How did the garden's character change over time?

That strictly geometric Baroque layout did not survive unchanged for long. After 1790 the garden was reshaped in line with the fashion of the day for looser, picturesque English-style parks, work carried out by Antonín Skalník, a gardener well known for several other projects on Petřín Hill. As a result, today's Lobkovická zahrada combines traces of its Baroque origins — above all the terraced ground and the main compositional axis — with the freer, more naturalistic planting typical of a landscape park. The garden covers roughly 7.1 hectares and, together with the palace itself, has been protected as a cultural monument since 1964.

Why does this place matter beyond garden history?

The palace now housing the German Embassy became part of recent European history in the autumn of 1989, when thousands of East German citizens sought refuge in its garden while waiting for permission to travel to the West — the Trabant cars abandoned outside the gates became one of the enduring images of the fall of the Iron Curtain. The garden was also a favourite subject of Josef Sudek, one of the most important Czech photographers of the 20th century, who returned repeatedly to the quiet green slope of Petřín Hill.

Can the garden be visited today?

Lobkovická zahrada forms part of the extensive Petřín Hill green belt maintained by the city's park administration and neighbours several other well-known terraced gardens on Malá Strana. Because part of the grounds borders the embassy, access to some sections can be restricted, but a significant portion functions as public parkland, offering walking paths and views over the rooftops of Malá Strana and the towers of Prague Castle.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Lobkovická zahrada located? On the northern slope of Petřín Hill in Prague's Malá Strana district, directly behind the palace on Vlašská Street.

Who created the garden? Count Přehořovský z Kvasejovic founded the estate, and gardener Jan Jiří Kapula gave it its Baroque form during the Lobkowicz era.

How does today's garden differ from the original Baroque design? After 1790 it was reshaped into a more relaxed English-style park, though the historic terraces and main sightline were preserved.

Is entry free? Part of the garden is open to the public as part of Petřín Hill's city greenery, though areas closest to the palace, now an embassy, may have restricted access.