Prague Renaissance & Baroque Gardens Walking Tour
Description
Highlights of this half-day history walk include the Prague Castle Royal Gardens with its dazzling Belvedere summer palace commissioned by Ferdinand I as a romantic present to his wife, the singing fountain cast from bell bronze, the Fig House and Orangery, where figs, almonds, oranges and lemons were grown for the first time in Central Europe and the grand Wallenstein Garden, with its white peacocks, mannerist statues, grotto wall and mythical fountains.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Walk through the unique Baroque garden to admire the original statuary and sculptural decor of early 1700's and enjoy the beauty and symbolism listed for its historic cultural values by UNESCO. Offers some of the most beuatiful views of Prague and the Prague Castle
Admire the Wallenstein Palace Gardens build in the 1600's and presently open to the public as the gardens of the Senate of the Czech Republic. The Italian style garden includes an aviary, an artificial grotto, a sculptural gallery of mythological heroes and a fountain by Adrian de Vries.
Walk through the Royal Garden of the Prague Castle established on the site of medieval vineyards in the 1500's. A Renaissance garden later became famous for its rare botanical specimens and exotic plants from distant countries.
Finished in the middle of the 16th Century, Queen Anna’s Summer Palace is the purest Renaissance architecture outside the Italian territory. The palace is The building is wreathed by an ornamental and figurative frieze. The pillars of the outside arcades have decorated Tuscan heads, while the reliefs on the walls depict scenes from mythology, hunting and wars. Among them, there is the figure of the founder Ferdinand I with the Order of the Golden Fleece on his chest, offering the lady - his wife, Queen Anna - a fig tree blossom.
This Renaissance building on the south side of the Royal Gardens, directly above the Stag Moat, was built in the middle of the 1500's. It served as a ball games hall, and later as a riding school and stables.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- This tours involves climbing up some steep stairs in the Vrtba garden to reach the highest terrace. If you have issues climbing, you can wait for the group on the second terrace and we'll come back in 10 minutes. Another option is to take the private tour where we can modify this part for you and your personal group.
Reviews(25)
An excellent way to see Prague’s iconic sights from historic gardens. Miriam, our guide, was interesting and educational.
Thank you for the wonderful review. We're so pleased you enjoyed your tour. Hope to see you on another Insight Cities tour in Prague, Berlin, Budapest, Vienna, or Salzburg. Safe travels!
Our guide was excellent, sharing interesting facts and observances about the gardens as well as some history of the venues and the City. We were there before the high season and were the only people on the tour, so we were able to interact with her much then we would have on a larger tour. She was very personalable and knowledgeable. The cost was higher than other tours of the same length but ended up being worth it. Note: lots of steps!
Thank you for the wonderful review. We're so pleased you enjoyed your tour. Hope to see you on another Insight Cities tour in Prague, Berlin, Budapest, Vienna, or Salzburg. Safe travels!
Beautiful succession of gardens, cultivated floors, flowering groves and rare trees hundreds of years more beautiful than each other: maples of Norway, purple beech, tulip tree, jacaranda, etc... We admire the Renaissance-style gazebo, the singing fountain, the sgraphites of the Jeu de Paume. A moment of calm and rest. Ideal for reading, painting or the art of photography.
This was a lovely, intimate tour through some of Prague's rich history. The small group size allowed our guide to customize the tour to our interests. Surprises abound! Although we've been to Prague many times, this tour introduced us to marvelous places that were just off the beaten path. We found ourselves viewing old Prague from a new perspective.
I can't think of a better way to spend a few hours in Prague immersed in its history, culture, and foliage! This tour has something for everyone: garden lovers, history lovers, and travelers seeking a sense of the city's nobility. Our guide took us places that no "commoner" would ever have been allowed to see, and the tour offered unparalleled views of the Prague Castle and the city. Even during peak tourist season, the gardens were peaceful and quiet, offering a lovely break from the crowds. Highly recommended!
Being a Praguener and having lived in the old part of the city for decades, I was offered a new, refreshing and wonderfully knowledgeable perspective on my own birthplace. Bonita is a wonderful guide, passionate about what she does, able to take you to the world that you hadn´t fully understood before, make you appreciate it and look at your own surroundings with a fresh look.
Thanks for the lovely review and for joining the tour. I learned so much about my adopted city by becoming a local guide. It's quite a joy to be able to share those surprises and new appreciation not only with travelers to Prague but with other locals! thanks again.
Our guide’s expert knowledge of art and history made this more interesting than just a regular walking tour. She was also a great story teller which made the afternoon all that more enjoyable.
Thanks so much! That's a favorite tour of mine. I can't wait for the gardens to open again in just 6 weeks! We hope to see you on other Insight Cities tours in Prague, Berlin, Vienna, Budapest and Salzburg.
Just a wonderful tour of Prague's historic gardens that will leave you hungry for more. Bonita is such a great story teller, knowledgeable in the history of these spaces and people who were behind them. I am a local and this was a great way to spend a fall afternoon and learn something new and fascinating about my own country. Thanks, Bonita!
A wonderful walk through history with a knowledgeable guide in Bonita! I had visited the gardens before but learned some more amazing stories on this tour.
This tour of Prague´s Renaissance and Baroque Gardens was a wondeful moment. Bonita´s deep knowledge of Greek and Roman mythology sheded light on every single piece of sculpture present in these gardens revealing how Ancient Greek and Romans myths and gods were meticuliously chosen to serve modern political propaganda. The sights on the city from the gardens are furthermore absolutely breathtaking! I definitely highly recommend this tour!
