Zbraslav What to See and Self-guided City Walk

Zbraslav is the southernmost district of Prague and 13.5 km from Wenceslas Square in the centre. This part of the city is located at the confluence of the Vltava and Berounka Rivers. Originally an independent town, it has been part of Prague since 1974. Zbraslav has retained all the charm of a small town and is definitely worth a visit if you want to see something other than Charles Bridge and the astronomical clock.

Self-guided City Walk Zbraslav

A three-kilometer walk will show you some notable buildings and other interesting places in Zbraslav.
Take metro line A to Želivskeho station and change to bus 139. Get off at the Zbraslavske náměstí stop.

Start and end of the walk: Zbraslavske náměstí

1. The walk starts at Zbraslavske náměstí

The eye-catcher is the monument commemorating the victims of the First and Second World Wars. The massive granite rock that makes up the monument comes from the Vltava River near the town of Kamík and was transported downstream to Zbraslav.

2. Bartonovka Street starts on the north-west side of the square. The entrance to Zamek (Chateau) Zbraslav and the gardens is through a gateway.

This is a baroque chateau, a large country house rather than a castle, used to be a Cistercian monastery and is currently closed to the public. The park is open. The Church of St. Jakub the Elder is in the middle of the Park. Here are kept the remains of the last Přemyslids (the founders of Prague).

3. Walk back to the square, past the Škoda Lásky restaurant and turn right into Vladislava Vančury.

The memorial plaque on the facade of the Škoda Lásky restaurant is in memory of the Czech composer and conductor Jaromír Vejvoda, (1992-1988). His composition of his polka Škoda Lásky made him world famous. The restaurant serves a lunch menu (poledni menu) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a choice of five dishes at a fixed price.

At the end of Vladislava Vančury Street at the foot of Havlín Hill, you will see a monument and the villa of the Czech writer, playwright and stage director Vladislav Vančura (1891-1942). The villa is an example of Courbusier architecture. Characteristic of this style are skeletal construction, non-load-bearing facades and a roof garden.

4. The street ends in stairs that bends gently to the left as the steps widen. It ends at a gate. Take the path to the right of the gate. Continue to the gloriette named Karlův stanek.

According to legend, on his return to Bohemia, Charles IV stopped at this place because he wanted to visit the grave of his mother, Eliška Přemyslovna, in the Zbraslav Monastery.

5. Take the slightly ascending path straight ahead from Karluv Stanek. After a few meters you will see a white, red and white marker on your right This is the sign of a walking route, when you see this you have found the right path. Continue to the cemetery and Havel Church.

On your right is the gate to the cemetery. The graveyard and the church of St. Havel were documented as early as 1115. The graves closest to the church are the oldest and some date from the mid-nineteenth century.

6. Leave the cemetery through the same gate and turn right. This is k Havlinu Street, but there is no street name anywhere.
Take the first street on the right u Karlova Stanku then first left Matjuchinova. Cross Podestova, Pod Hlavinu and Zabovreska. Then first left. You are now in front of Husova sbor.

Husova sbor, Hussite church, was built between 1938-40 in functionalist style. Inside is an impressive organ and decorative paintings by two local artists. Outside, opposite the building, is a monument to those who died during the May Uprising of 1943 (a black column and a row of stones with names).

7. Left into Elisky Premyslovny, right into v Bilce.

V Bilce 22, at the very end of the street, is a picturesque one-storey building with a mansard roof and a brick gate from the second half of the 18th century. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, saddler and harness maker Jan Ejem, who was mayor of Zbraslav for twenty years, lived here.

8. Turn right Elisky Prymyslovny and immediately turn right again Klubovy. Turn left into Zitavskeho

Zitavskeho 512, Vila Planá růže is a neo-Renaissance style villa from the end of the 19th century with several Art Nouveau murals on the facade.

Zitavskeho 500, Ottova Villa was built for Jan Otta (1841-1916), publisher and bookstore owner. He published ‘Otto’s Encyclopedia’ which was written in Czech, quite unusual as in those days German was the lingua Franca in the Czech lands. He lived in the centre of Prague and came in a carriage to visit his family who were staying here during the summer.

9. Continue Zitavskeho until you get to Zbraslavský náměstí.

END OF THE WALK

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