Straka Academy and the Gardens

The Straka Academy (Strakova Academy) is the seat of the government of the Czech Republic. The building cannot be visited but the gardens are open to the public and well worth for a stroll as there are a number of interesting sculptures to be seen. The Academy building is located on the left bank of the Vltava near Letna Hill.

The Gardens of the Straka Academy

The gardens are landscaped in Neo-baroque style in accordance with the architecture of the building, and designed in such a way that they can be used for multiple purposes. In addition to the central ornamental fields, there are two exhibition areas for mobile exhibitions. There are guided tours of the garden every hour, but only in Czech.

Three sculptures in the Garden

1. The Lion and the She-Wolf, a bronze sculpture made by Adam Fejfar
This sculpture was donated by the Embassy of the Italian Republic to the Government of the Czech Republic on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the existence of the Italian Embassy in Prague. The unveiling of the statue took place on 2 June, 2021.

2. Cleopatra, sculptor unknown, marble sculpture from the second half of the nineteenth century.

3. Libyan goddess Sibyl, sculptor unknown marble sculpture from the nineteenth century.

Address: Straka Academy Gardens, on the left bank of the Vltava river Malá Strana close to Letna

Opening hours: the garden of the Straka Akademie is open on Saturdays from early May to mid-October from 10.00-18.00

Straka Academy Building

The neo-baroque Straka Academy was built in the late nineteenth century and is named after Count Petr Straka of Nedabylice who founded study fund for sons of impoverished Czech nobility. Until 1914, the Straka Academy was an educational institution where students studied and had accommodation.

During the First World War, the building was used as a Red Cross hospital and in the interwar period it was the seat of various ministries. After Reinhard Heydrich’s arrival in Prague in 1942, a forced sale took place and a special German provincial court was established.

After the Second World War, the Czechoslovak government was based here. Since 1 January 1993, the Straka Academy has been the seat of the government of the Czech Republic.

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photos Marianne Crone