Royal Garden

The castle's Renaissance garden, with the Ball Game Hall and the Belvedere

Area Hradčany
Type Park
Time needed 45m

The Royal Garden is the Renaissance garden laid out from 1534 on the far side of the Stag Moat from Prague Castle, reached from Mariánské hradby rather than from the Castle courtyards. Its set pieces are the Belvedere, the arcaded summer palace built for Queen Anne, and the Ball Game Hall with its sgraffito-covered front. It is quieter than anything inside the Castle walls and closes for the winter, so it is a warm-season visit only.

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Getting there

Tram 22, 23 or 2 to Královský letohrádek, which puts you at the eastern gate by the Belvedere, or to Pražský hrad for the western end; both are on the ridge above the city. From Staroměstské náměstí allow about thirty minutes, walking across Charles Bridge and up, or twenty minutes by tram 22 from Malostranská. Coming up on foot from Malá Strana is a real climb; coming by tram it is flat, with a few minutes' level walk along the garden wall at the far end.

What you see

Entering from the Powder Bridge end you walk the long central path with the Ball Game Hall on the right, its whole facade covered in sgraffito figures of the Virtues and the Elements — look for the twentieth-century restoration work, which added a figure in modern dress. Past it stand the former Riding School, now an exhibition hall, and formal beds with clipped box and seasonal planting. The path ends at the Belvedere, an arcaded two-storey pavilion with a green copper roof shaped like an inverted hull, generally held to be the purest Renaissance building north of the Alps; in front of it is the Singing Fountain, a bronze basin that gives a faint ringing note when water falls on it — crouch to hear it. From the terrace there is a long view over the Stag Moat to the Cathedral spires, which is the best view of the Castle that does not involve a ticket. The interiors of the Belvedere and the Ball Game Hall open only for exhibitions.

What to pair it with

Prague Castle is across the Powder Bridge at the western end. The Belvedere terrace looks down on the Stag Moat path, and Letná park with its beer garden is fifteen minutes east along the ridge.

When to go

Open from spring to late autumn and closed through the winter months — check the dates before you go, as the closing varies with the weather. Mornings are the quietest time anywhere on the Castle hill. The planting peaks in May and June; late September gives good low light on the sgraffito and the Cathedral view. Weekends bring Castle overflow, but even then this garden takes a fraction of the crowd.

What is hard about it

It shuts for winter, and in the shoulder weeks the beds are cut back and the garden is plain. The two famous buildings are usually locked, so for most visitors this is a walk past their exteriors rather than a visit to them. The Singing Fountain is often silent — the water is not always running, and the effect is subtle even when it is. There are no cafes or toilets inside the garden and the nearest are back at the Castle gates. Getting here from the Old Town is uphill or dependent on one tram route, and the gates are a long way apart, so entering at the wrong end adds a walk.

Common questions

How long do you need at the Royal Garden?

Forty-five minutes to walk it end to end with stops at the Ball Game Hall and the Belvedere terrace. Longer if an exhibition is open.

Is it free?

The garden is normally free to enter in season. Exhibitions inside the Belvedere, the Riding School or the Ball Game Hall are ticketed separately.

Can you get into the Castle from the garden?

Yes — the western end comes out by the Powder Bridge, which is one of the Castle entrances, so the garden works well as an approach before the courtyards fill up.