Prague parks and gardens - the System of Care

There is the System of Care for Greenery in the City of Prague worked out, which classified parks and park-like areas into four categories on the basis of importance of their respective position they occupy in the System. Parks of Category I are administered by the City, represented for the purpose by the Department of the City Greenery of MHMP, other areas are administered by the appropriate City District.

Tab. - Area of parks according to categories of the System of Care for Greenery in the City of Prague

Category	Description	Area [ha]
I	Extremely important lands, which importance goes beyond the City boundary	318,1
II	Lands important to the whole City	71,4
III	Lands important to the City	188,2
IV	Supplementary lands with park treatment	2 122,1
Total		2 699,8

Source: Urban greenery department

 

Parks possessed and administered by the City

Parks of 1^st category are the property of the City and under its administration as:

The Royal Preserve – Kralovska obora (Královská obora – Stromovka)
Letenské Orchards (Letenské sady)
Garden complex on the Petrin Hill (Komplex zahrad vrchu Petřína)
Orchards on the Vítkov Mountain (Vrch Vítkov)
Vrtba (Vrbovska) garden (Vrtbovská zahrada)

On the basis of rules and documents approved by the City Assembly the gradual recovery and revitalisation of parks of 1^st category have been continuing. In the Kinských Garden, the premises of Gardens on the Petřín Hill, Letná Orchards, the Royal Preserve – Kralovska obora, and at the Vítkov Mountain important projects were implemented or started as given here below.

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The Royal Preserve (the former hunting deer park) (83.6 ha) 

Founded by Přemysl Otakar II in 1268, modified and, unfortunately, reduced in size several times in the course of time. Specially protected area at present. This monument of garden architecture is important for its recreational potential yet also because it forms a dominant part of the City greenery. In 1997 there was a study on gradual renewal of the Game Preserve developed. The Department of the City Greenery as the investor thereof, has been ordering step by step more detailed documentation sets. It is a pity, that for the sake of the resistance and misunderstanding of the orthodox environmentalists the salvation and development of stands and tree groups have been postponed at present.

Realised in year 2002-2005:

• Reconstruction of so-called southern limiting wall
• Reconstruction of road network including staircases and walls underneath the little summer castle
• Planting of vegetation on the azalea plain
• (Planned and approved reconstruction of road network in the bottom part of the Game Preserve was not implemented due to the floods.)
• Reconstruction of children playground Kaštánek including the construction of the new service building for maintenance in the Royal Preserve
• Reconstruction of park roads (finished in 2005)
• Conversion of the current building for garden maintenance into a refreshment facility is planning at present

 

Cesar Rudolph Water Tunnel

The Tunnel reconstruction was implemented in 1988–1994. The Tunnel takes water from the Vltava River to the lakes in the Royal Preserve. Once the works on the Tunnel body were completed further works on cleaning of the lakes were launched. The Tunnel has clear and fundamental influence on the Game Preserve ecosystem. The works done to the Tunnel demanded the amount of approx. CZK 8 million, the lakes cleaning and related works accounted for CZK 1.5 million.

 

Letenské Orchards (51.8 ha)

They belong to the most important City areas in the system of greenery. They form the interlink in between the Chotkovy Orchards and the Royal Preserve. They are utilised for recreational purposes, social purposes, and first of all to promenade walks. In 1998 an executive design for the renewal of phase I was developed and then implemented in 1998-1999. To obtain land-use decision for phases II and III took two years due to attacks to the design by various civil associations. In 1999 a design of irrigation water mains was ordered for the sake of urgency. At present the renewal of children playground is being finished.

Realised in year 2002-2005:

• Reconstruction of children playground
• Repair of the wall Holešovice – Letenské Orchards
• Reconstruction of park roads (picture above)
• Construction of a refreshment facility and restrooms
• The 3th stage of the park recovery, track for roller blade skaters
• Phase II of the reconstruction – Historic Stalls of Thomayer is planed
• Reconstruction of children playground in Kostelni street is planning at present.

 

Premises of gardens on the Petřín Hill (41 ha)

A group of several gardens separated by walls, comprizing the Kinský Garden, Lobkovicz Garden, Nebozízek,
Look-Out Tower Garden, Rose Garden, Seminary Garden and Strahov Garden. At present a specially protected area of Petřín Rocks (partly). In 2000 the long-time prepared reconstruction of entrance areas to the premises of gardens across the Petřín Hill began.

Realised in year 2002-2005:

• The last phase of the reconstruction of Hladová (Hungry) Wall
• The newly built children playground and the revitalised Jiřinkový Orchard
• Reconstruction of staircase
• Repair of wall in between the School Garden and SeminaryGarden
• complete reconstruction of the surroundings of the Petřín Watchtower and fountain in the Nebozízek garden is planning

 

Nebozízek Garden
Gardening and construction works were launched as early as in spring 2000, in 2001 the sculptural beautifying objects were finished, the so called Dahlia Orchard was completed, and the children playground was refurbished.

Convent Garden
Since 1980 till 2000 the slated twenty-year renewal of the fruit orchard was done. If the renewal would have not been started (felling of old trees and planting of young ones), the orchard would cease to fulfil its functionality and the most picturesque part of the Petřín Hill, visible from a vast portion of the City would be bare now.

Hungry Wall
Owing to the Wall size its repair was planned into several phases. The time spent for reconstruction works is proportional to the amount of finances, which the City may allocate to the Wall renewal in respective years. If it is managed that finances large enough are allocated then the completion of the reconstruction was in 2004.

Kinských Garden
It belongs, along with its summerhouse building, to the European nature and landscape monuments. In 1999 further level of documentation for the land-use planing process were negotiated. Last year a new children playground was commissioned in this locality. The renewal of old water tunnels and building of new ones for groundwater, which were originally drained into the drainage system with no use, shall be very important to neighbouring gardens.

Realised in year 2002-2005:

• Service buildings for gardening including nearby running paved areas and roads
• A vast reconstruction of the wall Šermířská
• Reconstruction of waterfall including a bridge and a new viewpoint
• The phase IV of the reconstruction including a new road on the stalls in front of the Summer House Kinských and installation of new public area lights
• Utility networks and roads in the vicinity of the Summer House
• Fencing above the wall Holečkova
• Construction two fountains in the vicinity of the Summer House
• Construction water bodies (water stairs, waterfall, reconstruction of the park pool,…) is running at present

 

Vítkov Mountain (32 ha)

The mountain belongs to the important City parks and a part thereof was established as the National Culture Monument. The Department of the City Greenery strives to implement an irrigation system there. There were certain gardening measures taken and in part planting of new trees has been ongoing.

Realised in year 2002-2005:

• Irrigation system I^st phase
• Reconstruction of walls on the north slope part and reconstruction of a view point
• designs of gradual reconstruction of the Vítkov Mountain including children playground is running at present

 

Vrtba garden (Vrtbovska garden) (0.3 ha)

The charming garden (founded 1720) is considered the most beautiful of Prague gardens. Is designed according to plans of the architect F.M. Kafka. It has composition on several levels, supplemented with sculptural decorations by M. B. Braun. In the first half of the 19th century the palace and the garden were rebuilt into the Classicist style. From this garden, there is a very nice view of the historical part of Prague /Prague Castle, St. Nicholas church/. After the reconstruction the Vrtbovská garden has been reopened since June 1998.