Four Botanical Gardens in Prague, Troja is Best-known

Prague has four botanical gardens. The largest and most famous is the garden in the Troja district. In the centre near Charles Square (Karlovo námêsti) is a smaller one which is part of Charles University. The other two are respectively in the Malesice district and in Pruhonice, which is a village just outside the city limits. The best time to visit one of the gardens is in summer when all the plants are in bloom.

Four Botanical Gardens in Prague

1. Botanical Garden Troja – is situated on a hill (so many steep paths) with a beautiful view of Troja Castle and its adjacent gardens. The Fata Morgana greenhouse is at a short walk from the main garden.

2. Botanical Garden Charles University – centrally located and slightly smaller than the garden in Troja, less height difference so easier to walk there.

3. Botanical Garden in Malesice – quite small, hardly any height difference and free entry.

4. Botanical Garden Pruhonice – mainly trees and flat terrain, can be well combined with a visit to Pruhonice Castle.

1. Troja Botanical Garden

This garden covers an area of approximately 30 hectares and offers a collection of more than 15,000 plant species from all around the world. The garden is divided into different thematic sections, including a tropical greenhouse, a Japanese garden, a rose garden, a Mediterranean garden and an orchid garden. The garden is also an important research centre and is involved in the development of new plant species and the control of plant diseases.

The vineyard of St. Clara has been part of the botanical garden since 1995. You can taste the local wine in a small wine bar next to the vineyard, where you can also see all the different grape varieties.

Address: Botanical Garden of the Capital Prague (botaniccká zahrada hl. m Prahy, Trojská 196, Troja, Prague
Opening hours: March to October 09:00-19:00 other months until 16:00

Fata Morgana
The Fata Morgana, part of Troja botanical garden, is a tropical greenhouse and is one of the largest in Europe with a collection of tropical plants from all over the world, including orchids, bromelias, palm trees, ferns, banana trees and cacti. The greenhouse is divided into three zones, each representing a different climate. The first zone is the dry zone, the second is the humid zone and the third is the rain forest zone. Although the tropical greenhouse is part of the Botanical Garden, the entrance is a ten-minute walk from the main area.

You can visit the Fata Morgana without entering the botanical garden and buy a separate ticket at the entrance. The Fata Morgana greenhouse is closed on Mondays

2. Botanical Garden of Charles University

This botanical garden is located right in the centre of Prague, near Charles Square (Karlovo námesti), much smaller than the Troja garden and is part of Charles University. The garden consists of an outdoor garden and several interconnected greenhouses, which house not only rare plants, but also birds. The botanical garden hosts various exhibitions throughout the year mostly of cacti, succulents, orchids, citrus plants and carnivorous plants.

Address: Na Slupi 16, NoveMesto, Prague
Opening hours daily from 10am-3pm

3. Botanical Garden in Malesice

This garden located outside the city centre is very quiet and resembles a large park with winding paths. The Malesice Botanical Garden started life as a garden of a large private villa owned by a local businessman. In the early 20th century, the main villa was rebuilt into a Neo-Renaissance castle. During the Second World War, the German army used the castle as a hospital. After 1945, the building was reclaimed by the state and in 1948 the horticultural school moved in. The garden is maintained by the students. The whole area is about 11 hectares. There are trees and plants labeled with the Czech and Latin names.

Address Pod Taborem 17, Malesice, Prague
Opening hours – from May to October every day, the rest of the years only during school hours. Access to the garden and greenhouses is free.

4. Botanical Garden Pruhonice

The Pruhonice botanical garden covers 80 hectares and is laid out as a park specializing in trees, shrubs and flowering shrubs. In 1922, the then owner of Castle Pruhonice gave permission to the Czech Dentrological Society to plant trees in part of the park for study purposes. An exhibition of tulips in the spring and of summer flowers are annual activities.

The dentrological botanical garden should not be confused with the park around Pruhonice castle. A short walk of about 1 km takes you from the village of Pruhonice to the dendrological garden which is open from the end of March to the end of October. May is a particularly good time to visit because of the blooming rhododendron bushes.

Next article: Holubička Park with miniature versions of famous Brutalist buildings in Prague

Photos Marianne Crone