Leafy and flowering Prague

Time passes a little differently in Prague's gardens and parks. Their tranquility, picturesque views, fountains and statues, as well as the opportunity to relax with friends on a picnic blanket directly encourages you to forget about the hustle and bustle of the city for a while.

Parks

If you want to spend a few hours amongst greenery, yet close to the city's infrastructure, visit one of Prague's popular parks such as Stromovka, Letná Parks or Petřín Gardens. In addition to walking, you can picnic with friends, jog or practice yoga. The same opportunity is also provided by large green areas that have seen less landscaping, such as the Prokopské or Šárecké valleys or the Klánovický les forest, the largest area of forest in Prague.

Gardens

If you welcome the opportunity to combine a stay in a natural environment with the chance to taste some local fruit, visit one of Prague's freely accessible orchards. In addition to their recreational function, many of them also serve as a source of freely available fruit that would otherwise go to waste. Their mapping and promotion is being done, for example, by the community platform Naovoce, which publishes lists of freely accessible orchards and seeks to contribute to their sustainability while promoting biodiversity.

An interesting probe into Prague's community life will surely be a visit to one of the community gardens that have been growing rapidly in recent years. The very first community garden in Prague was Prazelenina; it was established in 2011 in Holešovice and its popularity is still growing. Others are the Kotlaska Community Centre and Gardens or the four Prague community gardens of the Metrofarm project.

A nice sight are the gardens that you can find right in the streets, namely in the area directly around urban trees. They are promoted by the Street Gardening Czech initiative.

Vineyards

Although you would hardly consider the bustling metropolis a wine-growing region, you will find several truly renowned vineyards in Prague. They often have an impressive history dating back to the first millennium AD. Some of them are open to the public and you can enjoy observing the vines at different stages of their vegetation cycle from the first leafing through to the grapes being poured, in addition to tasting a glass of the local product itself, for example at the St. Clara vineyard, Salabka, in Grébovka or at the St. Wenceslas Vineyard. Don't miss this unique opportunity - experience Prague's nature, on your own level, so to speak.

Inner courtyards

An interesting element of urban greenery are the community courtyards that can be found in the inner courtyards of some buildings in the heart of the city. They are green oases in the midst of hot and dusty streets, and some are open to individual tourists; you can have many pleasant encounters with locals who are happy to show off their islands of greenery. Targeted support for the greening and community use of courtyards is being promoted, for example, by the association Bieno.

ZOO and Botanical Gardens

Specific, concentrated natural spaces in Prague are represented by the renowned Zoo in Troja and the Botanical Gardens in its vicinity. Both places welcome visitors all year round; they are open daily from 9:00 am, but closing times vary depending on the season.

Prague Zoo is the most visited zoo in the Czech Republic, not only because of the number and variety of species kept, but also because of its overall concept. It is based on the idea of keeping animals in conditions that are as close as possible to their natural environment. The ruggedness of the site behind which the zoo is situated offers ideal conditions for this.
The most attractive part of the Prague Botanical Garden is the Fata Morgana greenhouse; however, choose a day other than Monday to visit it, when it is closed - unlike the outdoor exhibitions.