Stromovka

The old royal hunting park, now the city's largest green space

• Area Bubeneč
• Type Park
• Time needed 1h 15m

The old royal hunting park in Bubeneč, now the largest green space inside the city and still laid out on the lines of its nineteenth-century English landscaping. It covers the flat ground between Letná and the Vltava, with ponds, meadows, avenues of mature trees and a planetarium at the Výstaviště end. Allow an hour or more if you intend to cross it rather than cut a corner.

Getting there

Tram 12, 17 or 24 to Výstaviště Holešovice puts you at the eastern entrance beside the exhibition grounds; tram 1 or 25 to Sparta reaches the Letná side. From Staroměstské náměstí it is about 20 minutes, walking to Staroměstská and taking tram 17 north along the river. Metro line C to Nádraží Holešovice then a tram also works. The ground inside is flat and the main paths are surfaced, so it is easy walking, but the park is large and the far corners are a good 20 minutes from the nearest stop.

What you see

From the Výstaviště gate you pass the planetarium and the open lawns, then the ponds that give the park its character — still water with willows and waterfowl, and a path that circles them. North-west of the ponds the landscape opens into meadows used by runners, dog walkers and families; the avenues of old plane and oak trees are the best thing in the park. The former royal hunting lodge, the Governor's Summer House, stands on a rise with the park dropping away in front of it; it is not generally open but the setting is worth the detour. Towards the river end you reach the quieter wooded strip beside the Vltava, with the Troja side and the zoo across the water.

What to pair it with

Výstaviště and the Lapidárium sit at the eastern gate. Letná Park and the Letná beer garden are a walk up the slope to the south, and Troja and the zoo are across the river to the north.

When to go

Best early on a weekday, when the avenues are empty and the light comes low through the trees. Weekend afternoons in warm weather fill the meadows and the ponds with families and cyclists. Autumn is the strongest season here: the mature trees colour well and the ponds hold mist in the morning. Winter leaves it bare but walkable, and the paths are usually cleared.

What is hard about it

It is a park, not a sight: there is no single thing to look at, and people who come expecting an attraction leave puzzled. The scale works against you if you are short of time, and the two main entrances are far apart. Parts of the park were badly damaged by flooding in the past and some corners still look unfinished. Cafe provision inside is thin and seasonal — check before relying on it. Shade is good in summer but the open meadows are exposed.

Common questions

How long do you need at Stromovka?

About an hour to walk the ponds and one avenue. Crossing the whole park from Výstaviště to the river takes closer to 90 minutes at a slow pace.

Is Stromovka free to enter?

Yes, it is a public park with no gates or tickets. The planetarium at the eastern end charges separately.

Can you cycle in Stromovka?

Yes, the main surfaced paths are popular with cyclists and inline skaters, and it links into the riverside cycle route north towards Troja.

More of the same kind

• PetřínThe wooded hill above Malá Strana, with orchards and a funicular
• Kampa IslandAn island under the Charles Bridge, with a mill wheel and a park
• Letná ParkThe plateau above the river, with a beer garden and the metronome
• Prague ZooOne of the best zoos in Europe, built into a hillside

Part of these routes

• Holešovice and LetnáFunctionalist modern art, the old exhibition grounds and the plateau with the metronome.
• Gardens and parksTerraced baroque gardens under the castle, the royal garden behind it, and the old hunting park.
• Prague at lengthEverything the other routes cover inside the city, spread over unhurried days with a castle at the end.