Prague off the Beaten Track

In this episode of Prague off the Beaten Track, we explore Obora Hvězda, a quiet park in Prague 6 that hides a remarkable story. From its origins as a royal game reserve to the striking Renaissance Letohrádek Hvězda, the site reflects centuries of history, ambition, and transformation. Today, it offers a calm escape — but beneath the surface lies a landscape shaped as much by human design as by nature itself.

Holešovická tržnice in Prague’s Holešovice district has undergone a remarkable transformation. What was once a modern slaughterhouse is now a bustling market and cultural hub. Today, it stands as one of Prague’s most intriguing places off the beaten track.

In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track on Czechast, we explore Klanovice Forest — the largest continuous forest in Prague. Just on the edge of the city, it offers a surprising mix of deep history, quiet nature, and traces of ambitious plans that never fully materialised. From medieval robber legends to modern conservation debates, this is a place where the past and present meet in unexpected ways.

For Prague Off the Beaten Track, Masarykovo nádraží, known as Masaryčka, is one of those places that feels both central and strangely overlooked. Opened in 1845, it is Prague’s oldest railway station and a rare example of a historic terminal still in everyday use. Named after the first Czechoslovak president, it quietly connects the city’s 19th-century beginnings with its 21st-century transformation.

In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we take you into Stromovka, Prague’s vast Royal Game Reserve. Once a medieval hunting ground, today it’s one of the city’s most beloved and tranquil parks. Just a short walk from Výstaviště, it offers history, nature, and unexpected quiet in the middle of Prague.

In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we explore Bohnice, a Prague district with a fascinating mix of history, nature, and calm. It’s a place where ivy has reclaimed forgotten graves and trails lead to scenic lookouts above the city. Come along for a peaceful autumn walk through one of Prague’s most surprising corners.

In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we explore Braník Rocks, the striking limestone cliffs that rise above the Vltava River in southern Prague. Once quarried for the “Old Town lime” that helped build the city’s bridges and embankments, the site now reveals layers of history reaching back 420 million years. It’s a place where fossils, wartime tunnels, and today’s climbers all share the same ancient stone — a vivid meeting of nature, history, and urban life.

In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we visit one of Prague’s most fascinating green spaces — the Botanical Garden of Charles University. Founded in 1775, it’s the oldest continuously operating garden of its kind in the Czech Republic. Today, it combines centuries of academic tradition with the peaceful charm of a public park right in the heart of the city.

Few visitors to Prague have heard of Folimanka Park, a green valley tucked between Vinohrady and Nusle. Yet this quiet corner recently gained worldwide attention when Dan Brown set part of his latest thriller there.

In this episode of Prague off the Beaten Track, we visit the Malešice Botanical Garden, a quiet oasis few people in Prague have heard of. Run by a horticultural school, it offers an arboretum, rock garden, and peaceful paths away from the usual tourist crowds. Nestled under Tábor Hill, it reveals a surprising blend of history, nature, and tranquillity in one of the city’s overlooked districts.