Garden Vrtbovská
Stairs, retaining walls of the sloping terrain, terraced levels, and intimate corners of abstract chambers with benches hidden behind green walls of shaped bosquets—this is Vrtbovská garden, often referred to as the most beautiful of Prague’s gardens. This baronial treasure, connected to the lesser-known Vrtbovský Palace, has been a part of the picturesque Malá Strana since 1720. The architectural design was created by the renowned architect František Maxmilián Kaňka at the request of the then-owner, Jan Josef von Vrtba.
To decorate the garden, F. M. Kaňka enlisted other famous artists of his time, including sculptor Matyáš Bernard Braun and painter Václav Vavřinec Reiner. While Braun’s sculptures are spread throughout the garden, Reiner’s frescoes can only be seen in the interior of the sala terrena on the lowest level of the garden. Like the second level, this level is adorned with embroidery motifs or ornamental flower beds.