Vratislavská zahrada

Vratislavská zahrada (Vratislav Garden) is a small early Baroque garden on the slope of Petřín hill in Prague's Malá Strana district, belonging to the former Vratislav Palace (also known as the Mitrovice Palace) on Tržiště street. Covering only about 0.2 hectares, the garden is arranged across three terraces, with its highest point reaching an elevation of 215 meters. Despite its modest size, the steep, terraced layout gives it pleasant views over the surrounding neighborhood and makes it an integral piece of the green belt formed by the Baroque gardens climbing the Petřín slope.

Where does the name come from?

The garden takes its name from the Vratislav family of Mitrovice, who took over the property in the second half of the 17th century. Records of a building on the site go back much further, though — as early as 1591, the eastern house on the plot, together with a small adjoining garden, was inherited by a man named Václav Svatoš. It wasn't until 1671 that the estate was purchased by Kryštof František Vratislav of Mitrovice, and it was under his ownership that the garden underwent an architectural redesign, taking on much of the layout that survives today.

What does the garden look like today, and what makes it distinctive?

Vratislavská zahrada is sometimes also called the Mitrovice Garden, after the family that gave it its final form. While it doesn't enjoy the same fame as its neighbor, the well-known Vrtba Garden, it forms part of the very same remarkable group of four terraced Baroque gardens on the Petřín hillside, alongside the Schönborn, Vrtba, and Lobkowicz gardens. This ensemble is considered one of the most valuable examples of Baroque garden design in Prague, blending architecture, sculpture, and natural terrain into a unified visual composition.

Is the garden a protected monument?

Yes — both the palace and its garden have been listed as a cultural monument since 1964. This designation reflects the historical and architectural value of the whole estate, even though the garden itself remains less visited by tourists than its more famous neighbors.

What did archaeological research uncover here?

One of the more striking chapters in the site's history comes from archaeological excavations carried out in 1993. They uncovered as many as 109 burials, along with evidence that the area later occupied by the garden had been used for ironworking activity going back to the 10th century. These findings show that the history of this small corner of Malá Strana reaches far deeper than its Baroque remodeling, tying it to early medieval craft settlement on the slopes of Petřín.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Vratislavská zahrada located? The garden is in Malá Strana, Prague 1, on the slope of Petřín hill, next to the Vratislav Palace on Tržiště street.

Is Vratislavská zahrada the same as Vrtbovská zahrada? No — these are two distinct, neighboring Baroque gardens. Both belong to the same group of four terraced gardens on the Petřín hillside, but they have separate histories and owners.

How large is the garden? It covers roughly 0.2 hectares and is laid out over three terraces.

What sets it apart from the other gardens on Petřín? Its early Baroque character and the archaeological finds confirming much older use of the site, dating back to the 10th century, make it distinctive among the group.