Statue of John of Nepomuk in Cibulka

The Statue of John of Nepomuk stands at the entrance to Cibulka park in Prague's Košíře district, close to two other historic sculptures from the same estate — the figures of Diana and Zeus. Unlike them, it depicts a historical figure rather than a mythological deity: it is the only work with religious subject matter in the entire park, commemorating one of the most recognizable Czech saints.

Who does the statue represent and what does it look like?

The sculpture shows John of Nepomuk as a slender man in traditional clerical robes, holding a stone crucifix with both hands. The figure is carved from sandstone in the neoclassical style typical of the early 19th century. The pedestal bears the coat of arms of the Thun-Hohenstein family, the former owners of the Cibulka estate, while its sides carry relief scenes referencing the legend of the saint being thrown from Prague's Charles Bridge into the Vltava river.

When was it created, and who made it?

Sources place the statue's creation and installation in the park between 1818 and 1822. Authorship is not fully settled — some sources credit the Czech sculptor Václav Nedoma, while others point to his colleague Josef Malínský. Both were active in the sculptural work that decorated Cibulka during the period when the estate belonged to Prince Leopold Leonhard Thun-Hohenstein, who acquired the property in 1817 and transformed it into a romantic landscape park.

Why place John of Nepomuk at the park entrance?

Canonized in 1729, John of Nepomuk is among the most popular saints in the Czech lands — his image appears on bridges, roads and squares throughout the country, often invoked as a protector against floods and drowning. Placing his figure at the entrance to Cibulka gave the whole estate an added religious dimension, setting it apart from the purely decorative statues of ancient deities further inside the park. For the estate's owners, the statue was also a way of signalling their own piety and attachment to tradition, in a manner common among aristocrats of the period.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

Cibulka is a sprawling landscape park packed with attractions in a relatively small area. Deeper inside, near the pond, stand the statues of Diana and Zeus — remnants of a larger ensemble of mythological sculptures from the same era. Also nearby are a stone lookout tower shaped like a castle ruin, one of the oldest such structures in Prague, along with the remains of a Chinese pavilion and a hermitage. Together they form the kind of layered arrangement of buildings and sculptures typical of 19th-century romantic parks, designed to suggest the grounds concealed traces of an older, half-forgotten history.

How do you get there and plan a visit?

The statue stands at the edge of the park, near Nad Hliníkem street, making it a natural starting point for visitors arriving from the Košíře side. The park is open to the public, free of charge, with no single fixed route — it's best explored on foot, starting at the John of Nepomuk statue and heading further in toward the pond, the lookout tower and the other sculptures. Allow at least an hour for an unhurried walk through the whole estate.

Frequently asked questions

Who was John of Nepomuk? John of Nepomuk was a Czech cleric from the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, canonized in 1729. He is one of the most popular saints in the Czech Republic, venerated as a patron of bridges and protector against drowning.

Where exactly does the statue stand in Cibulka park? The statue is located at the entrance to the park, near Nad Hliníkem street, in Prague's Košíře district.

Who created the statue? Sources name two possible authors, Václav Nedoma or Josef Malínský, both linked to the sculptural work carried out at Cibulka between 1818 and 1822.

Are there other similar statues in the park? Yes — the statues of Diana and Zeus stand deeper inside the park, though unlike the John of Nepomuk statue, they depict deities from ancient mythology rather than religious figures.

Is entry to the park and the statue free? Yes, Cibulka is an open, publicly accessible green space with no entrance fee and no fixed opening hours.