Wallenstein Garden

This 17th-century garden, one of the finest examples of early Czech Baroque, was designed in the style of an Italian Mannerist park between 1623 and 1629.

The largest part of the garden is dominated by the Sala Terrena, in front of which is a fountain with a sculpture of Venus and Cupid. This part of the Wallenstein Garden also features an artificial wall of stalactites, which is linked to an aviary for birds. If you look closely at the stalactite wall, you can see the hidden silhouettes of animals such as frogs and snakes, or the faces of animals and monsters.

In the second, smaller part of the Wallenstein Garden, there is a large pool with an artificial island. That is decorated with a sculpture of Hercules, club in hand, preparing to smite the dragon at his feet.

The Statues in Wallenstein Garden

The original statues were taken as spoils of war by the Swedes during the Thirty Years’ War in the seventeenth century. They have never been returned and the statues you see in the garden are replicas. Hercules fighting Hydra is on an islet in the pond. If you want to see the originals sculptures, you will have to go to Drottningholm Castle in Sweden, the private residence of the Swedish royal family and a popular tourist attraction.

Sala Terrana

A sala terrena is a large room or hall open on one side with direct access to a garden. The sala terrana of the Wallenstein palace has three monumental arches and is a faithful copy of the portico of the cathedral in Livorno in Italy. The vaults of the Wallenstein Sala Terrana are decorated with rich stucco and frescoes depicting gods from ancient Greece. The images are surrounded by stucco depicting the Trojan War story.

Wallenstein Riding School

The Wallenstein riding school was built as a part of Wallenstein Palace. The National Gallery of Prague organizes temporary exhibitions in the riding school (Valdštejnská jízdárna). In 1845, the Wallenstein Riding School was the venue for the ball in honour of the engagement of the Imperial couple Franz Josef I and Elizabeth, better known as Empress Sissi.

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