I first visited the Wallenstein Palace in the second to last week of September with class. The reason I remember so specifically when it was is because I remember telling myself that I had only a week to return before the garden was to be closed for the winter. My next visit occurred a few days after when my friends and I mistakenly tried to ride the tram 18 to the base of Petřin hill. We eventually realized that the 18 would not take us to Ujezd and got off at the next stop, Malostranská. Immediately upon looking around, I realized exactly where we were, steps outside of the Wallenstein Garden. The friends with me are not in European Mentality and therefore had never known to go the garden, so I was very excited to show them this incredibly serene place, while also being able to experience again for myself. The third visit was very intentional. It was September 30 and my friends and I wanted to see the gardens one more time before we were told they would be closed. Unfortunately, Fall break and October's end restrict my fourth visit to the gardens, but they have left a great impression on me. The Wallenstein Palace is so far my favorite place in Prague and in the next few pages, I hope to explain why.
Albrecht von Wallenstein built the palace in 1623 in the Baroque style with the help of lead architect Andrea Spezza and lead interior designer, who painted the frescoes in the main hall. Wallenstein was famous at the time for his success as Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial forces during the Thirty Years war. However, after the war, both the Protestants and Emperor Ferdinand II wanted his allegiance. According to Encyclopedia.com, when Wallenstein began negotiations with Protestant princes, Ferdinand II had him killed before the emperor could be betrayed. His nephew received the rights to the beautiful palace and it remained in the family until just after World War II. In 1945, the palace and gardens became property of the state and became the operating place of the Czech Senate. I enjoy the history of the palace because of the dichotomy of Wallenstein's nature. In one hand he grips a sword while the other lay relaxed by his side. Wallenstein was said to be an incredible military mind yet also knew the importance of serenity and tranquility which he displayed in his palace gardens. Aggression and hostility are nowhere to be found in the spirit of his estate.
During my first visit to the Wallenstein garden, I was a tourist. I wanted to take pictures of everything so as to be able to leave with evidence of that which made elated me. (On a side note, I feel like this is a problem with tourism. I have noticed that when I take pictures of things, I am content to know that my camera gets a nice view of the subject, but I don't necessarily see it for myself. In another blog post, I hope to talk about the differences of seeing a city with and without a camera). Standing at the entrance closest to Malostranská, the first view blew me away. Right next to a busy intersection just outside the city center is this breathtaking and peaceful garden. I stood gazing at the pool in front of me when I realized that just above this place is the Prague Castle and St. Vitus's Cathedral. I really liked this view because in my vision was juxtaposed two beautiful sights in Prague, yet one is completely commercialized while the other goes unnoticed to the ordinary tourist. As we kept walking, I was shocked to be joined in the garden by peacocks. Peacocks roam free here, are fed by the keepers of the aviary, and simply live amongst each other in the gardens. During my third visit to the gardens, I remember seeing a peacock walk right along side a toddler. It was then that I noticed peacocks' giant claws and I feared for the child. Luckily, despite the inquisitive nature of the child, though he never touched the bird, the peacock was completely passive and peaceful.
Lining almost every walkway of the garden were magnificent bronze statues of the Greek gods and goddesses, but the most captivating synthetic display was a giant charcoal gray wall located on the left side of the garden. This giant wall was made of dripstone and was complete with artificial stalactites, as well. Upon first glance, I did not really see anything but what looked like a pretty ugly wall. When I investigated further, with the help of Professor Cílek and fellow students, I saw little faces carved into the wall by its designer. There were the heads of snakes, gorillas, monsters, a devil, etc. To me, this wall metaphorically represents Prague in a way, minus the fact that I initially thought that the wall was ugly. In my travels, I have found that the coolest places and attractions to see are things not necessarily highlighted on a map or in a travel guide. When you look for cool things off the beaten path, I find they tend to be cooler than the big tourist attractions. The small, almost unnoticeable carvings in the wall are individually more interesting than the wall itself, but ultimately help to advance the appeal of the wall. The average tourist who visits Prague for 1.5 days will spend hours dropping his/her jaw at the magnitude of St. Vitus's Cathedral and the Prague Castle, an hour or so walking across the Charles Bridge and then locking one's love to the partner on the gate near the Lennon Wall, and another hour or two cruising around the Vltava in a race car paddle boat; they will probably not see the Wallenstein Palace. I think that is one of the big reasons I am drawn to it; there are a few tourists but not enough to detract from feeling the essence of the grounds.
Finally at the focal point of the gardens is the main hall of the palace, what is now home to the Czech Senate. The main hall is extravagant. The frescoes designed by Baccio del Bianco are very cool: classic scenes from Greek mythology and lining the ceiling are six or eight Greek heroes but all dressed in medieval knightly garb. My camera needed a nap after I saw these frescoes. Then came my first of two experiences sitting on the benches in the garden. The first time was led by Professor Cílek's lecture. I sat and listened to the history of the place, learned about the architecture, what type of events occurred here, etc. As usual, the lecture was interesting and informative but I think I gained a greater understanding of the palace and the gardens the second time my butt rested on the benches, an experience I will describe soon. This was the end of my first trip to the Wallenstein Palace.
My second trip, like I said, came about by accident. My friends and I happened to board the wrong tram, my friend Dylan and I happened to notice the familiar entrance way, so we went in for a little bit. I do not think we spent more than twenty minutes walking around before we left. Some people were antsy to get our picnic on Petřin started so our visit was hastily done. I remember feeling a little annoyed because I felt like those new to the gardens just sort of glanced at things and then moved on. I guess I am glad for this experience because it left me wanting to come back. So I did.
September 30, 2011, a few friends and I traveled back for what would be my third visit, the visit when I realized that this was my favorite place in Prague. We arrived in the late afternoon, walked around for a little while, exchanged pleasantries with the peacocks, waved to the devil on the dripstone wall, and then planted ourselves on the back-most benches from the main hall. We just sat there, talking a little bit about how beautiful the sun set over Petřin and the palace, about whether or not this palace was technically part of the Prague Castle (it is not, by the way), and about any other random thought that popped up. The majority of our time there we sat in silence just gazing at the surroundings: the frescoes, the owl aviary, the dripstone wall, the bushes, the statues. This was the essence of the place in which we sat. We were resting in a place of relaxation, a place of peace and tranquility. I even took a little nap as we sat on the bench. I wanted to see the gardens and the palace for what they were, just beautifully sculpted pieces of art. I did not want to obstruct anything about them, nor anyone else's perception of them. Sitting there for what I am guessing was a little more than an hour, I felt so peaceful. The garden is so great because it preaches safety and serenity. All around, statues of the gods are protecting the garden from all of life's threats and danger, one can walk around in peace knowing that there are no worries. The wall with hidden monsters even looked calming to me. That is what I felt in this place, no danger, no worries, my mind was quiet, resting, and happy. This experience and these exact feelings combined with the real physical beauty of the place are the reasons that this is my favorite place in Prague. While I do think tourists should see the big name sights, I believe that everyone who comes to Prague should spend an afternoon sitting in the gardens of the Wallenstein Palace, for it is one of the true beauties of this city.
This was a long entry, I apologize, but thank you for reading.
Hope all is well,
Than
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