Vrtba Garden

A terraced baroque garden climbing the hill behind a palace gate

Area Malá Strana
Type Park
Time needed 40m

Vrtba Garden — Photograph: VitVit / CC BY-SA 4.0

A terraced baroque garden of the 1720s climbing the slope behind a palace gate on Karmelitská in Malá Strana, laid out in narrow stages with statuary by Matthias Bernard Braun. It is small — a few linked terraces and a belvedere at the top — and the whole point is the view back over the roofs of Malá Strana towards the castle. Entry is ticketed and the garden closes for the winter months.

Open in the planner →

Getting there

Tram 12, 15, 20, 22 or 23 to Hellichova, then about two minutes back up Karmelitská; the entrance is an unremarkable passage beside the church, easy to walk past. From Staroměstské náměstí it is roughly 20 minutes: across Charles Bridge and up Mostecká, or metro line A to Malostranská and a tram. Once inside, the garden is all steps — several flights of them, narrow and without a lift or ramp. The climb from gate to belvedere takes five minutes at a steady pace.

What you see

You come in through the courtyard of the Vrtba Palace, which gives no hint of what is behind it. The first terrace is formal, with clipped box and a wall fountain; from there the stairs rise between balustrades set with Braun's figures of classical gods and putti, the best of the sculpture at the middle levels. Each terrace is narrow and gives a slightly higher view, so the garden reveals itself in stages rather than at once. At the top is a small belvedere pavilion with a painted interior and, from the parapet beside it, the view that justifies the climb: the tiled roofs of Malá Strana, the dome and towers of St Nicholas, and the castle and St Vitus on the ridge above. The planting is modest and secondary to the architecture.

What to pair it with

The Church of Our Lady Victorious with the Infant of Prague is next door on Karmelitská. Petřín funicular from Újezd and the Lennon Wall on Velkopřevorské náměstí are both within a few minutes' walk.

When to go

Open in the warmer half of the year only; it shuts over winter, so check before you go. Late afternoon is best, when the sun is behind you and lights the castle ridge for photographs. Mornings are quietest — it is small enough that a tour group of twenty makes it feel full. Spring and early summer show the planting at its best, and autumn gives the clearest air for the view.

What is hard about it

It is expensive for its size and takes well under an hour, which catches people out. There is no lift and no step-free route past the first terrace, so wheelchairs and pushchairs cannot get up. The terraces are narrow and there is little seating or shade; in midsummer the stone holds the heat. It closes in winter and in heavy rain the steps are slippery. The entrance is unmarked enough that people queue at the wrong door.

Common questions

How long do you need at the Vrtba Garden?

Thirty to forty minutes is enough for the terraces, the sculpture and the view from the top. There is no route that takes longer.

Is the Vrtba Garden worth the ticket?

If you want a quiet high view over Malá Strana and the castle, and you like baroque sculpture, yes. If you are already going up Petřín for a bigger view, it is skippable.

Is it accessible without stairs?

No. Beyond the entrance courtyard and first terrace it is stairs only, with no lift or ramp.