A hidden oasis beneath Albertov
There are three main botanical gardens in Prague — the large city-run one in Troja, the smaller school garden in Malešice, and this one, tucked away on Na Slupi Street beneath the Albertov campus. It’s the smallest of the three, but easily the most historic. Run by the Faculty of Sciences of Charles University, the garden is a mix of university facility and quiet refuge — a place where students read among the trees while trams rattle past just beyond the gates.
You can easily reach it on foot from Wenceslas Square. Walking down Vodičkova and Vyšehradská streets, you pass Charles Square and, within minutes, step off the busy pavement into a green amphitheatre of terraces, trees, and winding paths. It feels like the city suddenly takes a breath.
From Smíchov to Na Slupi: a garden’s long journey
The story of this garden stretches back to 1775, when it was founded under Empress Maria Theresa in Smíchov to serve the old Charles-Ferdinand University. At that time, students studied plants for medicine and botany in open fields or private gardens — this was the first proper university facility of its kind.
As Czech national life revived in the 19th century, so did the need for higher education in Czech. The university was split in 1882 into separate Czech and German branches, and soon the garden followed. The move to Na Slupi in 1898 provided both universities with new grounds and greenhouses. Though separated by a simple wire fence, the two gardens flourished side by side — occasionally quarrelling, but ultimately surviving wars, floods, and political turmoil.
During World War II, the site played an unexpected role in the Czech resistance. The Czech institute became a base for geobotanist Vladimír Krajina, who transmitted coded messages to Britain. In 1945, an Allied bombing destroyed the German greenhouses, and the German university itself was later abolished. The garden was unified under Charles University — as it remains today.
A compact world of plants
Spread over three and a half hectares, the Botanical Garden of Charles University feels like a living textbook. The outdoor area rises in terraces between Na Slupi and Viničná, featuring displays of Central European flora, rock gardens, and wetland plants. Among its treasures are a 130-year-old Ginkgo biloba bonsai, one of the first dawn redwoods planted in Europe, and a quiet corner devoted to native Czech species. On any sunny day, you’ll find students relaxing under the trees or sketching beside the pond.
A separate ticket gives access to the greenhouse complex — and it’s worth every crown. Inside, the air is warm and filled with the chatter of tropical birds, whose cages lend the space a distinctly exotic soundscape. There are palms, ferns, orchids, and towering leaves dripping with condensation. One greenhouse is home to an impressive permanent collection of succulents and cacti, arranged in small desert landscapes of sand and stone.
Celebrating 250 years of life and growth
In autumn 2025, the garden is celebrating its 250th anniversary with a full programme of events. Visitors can join a botanical exchange, exhibitions of orchids, citrus trees, bonsai, and exotic birds, or even a small concert in the garden’s quiet refugium. In truth, there always seems to be something happening here — lectures, sales, displays, and guided tours that link science with everyday life.
Whether you come for the plants, the history, or just a moment of calm, the Botanical Garden of Charles University remains one of Prague’s most rewarding “off the beaten track” destinations — a living bridge between the city’s academic past and its green present.
Charles University Botanical Garden factbox
- Botanical Garden of Charles University (Botanická zahrada Přírodovědecké fakulty UK)
- Address: Na Slupi 16, Prague 2 – Albertov
- Founded: 1775 (moved to current site in 1898)
- Area: 3.5 hectares
- Operator: Faculty of Sciences, Charles University
- Admission: Outdoor garden free; greenhouses 100 CZK
- Opening hours: Daily, 10:00–17:00 (varies seasonally)
- More info: https://bz-uk.cz/en/about-the-garden
- How to get there: About 15-minute walk from Wenceslas Square, or tram stop Botanická zahrada (lines 7, 18, 24)
