The art garden is interesting for its story, beauty and atmosphere of the First Republic. In addition, it hides in places where few people would expect it, namely under the Nuselský bridge by the railway line. Originally, the stone sculpture workshop of Karel Novák was located here, where works by important Czech artists were created.

According to the project initiator Boris Hlaváč, the garden has 6,000 square meters, of which 3,000 meters are the garden and the rest are studios and undeveloped space. A number of important statues were created on the site, including Myslbek’s monument to Karel Hynek Mácha on Petřín or Dvořák’s sculpture of St. Cyril and Methodius on Charles Bridge. For example, a statue of Woodrow Wilson was created here, the actual replica stands today in a park near Central Station.

However, the history of the garden was dramatic. After the confiscation of property after 1948, Krátký film was housed in the service and well-known fairy tales were created here – Jiří Trnka was also inspired by the atmosphere and layout of the garden. However, most of the works of art were later destroyed during the construction of the Nuselský Bridge, covered with rubble or ended up in the concrete foundations of the bridge structure.

The current owner of the garden has been dedicated to its gradual restoration since 1992, restoring and restoring replicas of the statues, planting greenery and flowers according to the preserved photo documentation.

The garden of the Černín Palace and anti-nuclear shelters are opening

Over the weekend, the Open House Prague Festival will offer to visit eighty buildings and spaces, including 26 novelties that appear in the program for the first time. The buildings will be open to visitors, with some exceptions, from 10:00 to 18:00 and tours will be handled in small conditions, usually throughout the day.

For example, the Baroque garden of the Černín Palace in Hradčany, the chapel and selected areas of the Klára Institute for the Blind in Malá Strana or the Lowita water mill in Liben will open for the first time. From the technical constructions, visitors can already see, for example, the Vršovice waterworks in Michle by Jana Kotěra or the Zenger transformer station, today the seat of the Kunsthalle Prague.

Those who want to look into the Prague underground can visit the anti-nuclear shelters in the National Agricultural Museum, the Hotel International Prague or the Boutique Hotel Jalta. Several institutions will open on the Dejvice campus, a novelty is the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague, where you will see, for example, the award-winning reconstruction of Studio D or the giant hall of the Water Management Center.

From the sacral spaces, it will be possible to visit, for example, the New Libeň Synagogue or the Hus Choir Vršovice. An example of functionalist architecture is the Fire House or the ARA Palace. Art spaces and studios are separate thematic areas – they will present, for example, the Olgoj Chorchoj studio, Šaloun’s studio, the future Dance House or the aforementioned Art Garden.

The organizers also have a rich accompanying program and a program for children. The festival center is on Malé náměstí 4.