A lot has been written about Prague, and rightly so -- it is a world-class city, with a rich history and fascinating architecture on display. The Castle District has amazing views, particularly from the bell tower of St. Vitus Cathedral, and the libraries in the Strahov Monastery were spectacular. The Charles Bridge was just as I imagined it, after first seeing it featured in Mission: Impossible years ago. The Jewish Quarter of the Old Town was sobering in its reminders of early 20th-century history, while the trams, Museum of Communism, and Wenceslas Square all evoked the days of the Cold War. 

But what I would like to focus on is the second main component of the Historic Centre of Prague: Průhonice Park. I visited this site on a Monday morning in October, and it was the perfect cap to a wonderful weekend in Prague and Bohemia. The park lies about 8 miles southeast of the center of Prague, and was fairly easy to reach through a combination of metro and bus transport. Immediately upon entering the park, I was greeted by a fairytale chateau that had been modified and reconstructed in a "New Renaissance" style at the end of the 19th century. Although not much of the interior is open, some of the rooms off the central terrace held an engrossing exhibit on garden designs across history and around the world (highlighting several that are important components of other World Heritage Sites). The exhibit brought back many good memories of past travels, and was very well-presented. The exhibit is also well-placed in the chateau, since the building is home to the Botanical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

The garden theme was a good introduction to the rest of Průhonice Park, which founder Count Arnošt Emanuel Silva-Tarouca began designing as a natural landscape park in the late 19th century. Within the park are an alpine and botanic garden, as well as a wide variety of deciduous trees and rhododendrons. My visit in mid-October was at the height of autumn, and leaves were spectacularly changing throughout the park. The morning was cool, bright, and sunny, and I enjoyed meandering for a few hours around the pond, up hills to viewpoints, and across peaceful meadows in a world removed from the constant activity of downtown Prague. The trails were well-marked, and there were ample areas to sit, relax, and enjoy the landscaped woods. If I hadn't had a flight in the afternoon, I would have loved to spend much more of my day at the park.

I don't want to hype this park and its castle too much; there are many spectacular buildings and gardens across Europe. Also, almost any site looks better in crisp autumn weather under a blue sky. Still, at the end of a fantastic long weekend in Prague and Bohemia, this was a jewel of a site for me, and I'd recommend checking it out when in Prague.

Logistics: From downtown Prague, visitors can get to Průhonice Park by taking the Prague Metro Line C to Opatov station, and then taking either bus 363 or 385 to Průhonice from the bus station above Opatov station.