Sady Bedřicha Smetany

Sady Bedřicha Smetany (Bedřich Smetana Gardens) is a formal park at the heart of Ústí nad Labem whose geometric layout and monument have shifted with the political tides of twentieth-century Czechoslovakia. A walk through its central avenue doubles as a walk through the city's turbulent recent history.

What was this park called before?

The site has carried several names over the decades. Under Austro-Hungarian rule it was known as Kaiser Josef Platz. In the postwar communist era it became Gottwaldovy sady, named after Klement Gottwald, Czechoslovakia's first communist president. Only after the political changes did the park take on the name it bears today, honouring the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana.

Why does the park have such a geometric layout?

The park's current form comes from a redesign led by the architect Koucký, who gave the grounds a distinctly geometric composition rather than the looser, naturalistic layout typical of many city parks. Its main axis is a central avenue lined with an unusual water feature system, with fountains forming one of the park's most recognisable elements. That formal, almost plaza-like structure is what sets Sady Bedřicha Smetany apart from more informal green spaces elsewhere in the city.

What happened to the Smetana monument?

The history of the composer's monument mirrors the park's own political ups and downs. A bust of Bedřich Smetana, created by sculptor Stanislav Hanzík, was installed in the park in 1964. It did not stay long: in 1970 it was removed and replaced with a statue of Klement Gottwald. The Smetana bust only returned to its place in the late 1990s, following a further reconstruction of the park, and has remained one of its defining features ever since.

How is the park changing today?

Sady Bedřicha Smetany is not frozen in its past — residents of Ústí nad Labem have had a direct say in its recent upgrades. In 2023, a participatory budget vote selected a project called "A Chance for Sady Bedřicha Smetany", aimed at renewing the park. The following year, in 2024, the city district carried out the plan, renovating the fountains and completing a partial reconstruction of the landscaping. The result is a park that keeps its historic character while responding to what residents actually asked for.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Sady Bedřicha Smetany located? The park sits in the centre of Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic, at coordinates 50.66149, 14.03404.

What was this park called in the past? It was historically known as Kaiser Josef Platz, and later, during the communist era, as Gottwaldovy sady, before being renamed after composer Bedřich Smetana.

Whose monument stands in the park, and what is its history? A bust of composer Bedřich Smetana by sculptor Stanislav Hanzík stands here. It was installed in 1964, removed in 1970 to make way for a statue of Klement Gottwald, and restored to the park in the late 1990s.

Has the park been renovated recently? Yes. In 2024, following a project chosen through the city's 2023 participatory budget vote, the fountains were renovated and part of the landscaping was reconstructed.

What makes this park's layout distinctive? Its geometric design, built around a central avenue and a fountain-based water feature system, designed by the architect Koucký, gives it a more formal, representative character than a typical city park.