Palace Gardens Beneath Prague Castle Malá Strana

The beautiful, terraced gardens on the steep southern slopes below the castle date from the 17th and 18th centuries, when they were created for the owners of the adjoining palaces. They were restored in the 1990s and contain a Renaissance loggia with frescoes of Pompeii and a baroque portal with sundial that cleverly catches the sunlight reflected off the water in a Triton fountain. From the entrance on Valdštejnská, there are lots of steps to climb to reach the top of the gardens, but your reward is plenty of pleasant spots to sit and read or just take in the view. Various events take place here outside the normal opening hours.