Obora Hvězda: Star Game Reserve
If you want to enjoy the park of forest style with magical energy around the summer palace in the shape of a star, you should visit Obora Hvězda. Furthermore, explore the venue of the historical Battle of White Mountain that took place nearby.
Obora Hvězda
Hvězda, meaning the Star, is a park with a character of the forest. You can enter it via three majestic alleys leading to the one point, the Star Summer Palace (Letohrádek Hvězda in Czech). It is an excellent destination for a walk, picnic, jogging, biking, and even cross-country skiing during the winter. The area around the Hvězda is one of the coldest in Prague. That is why the park is popular in summer for refreshing, in autumn for flying kites and in winter for cross-country skiing, because the snow stays longer than in other parts of Prague.
Emperor Ferdinand I. founded Hvězda as a game reserve for the hunting of animals. Since it was a period of Renaissance, he invited experienced architects from southern Europe, and they designed a summer palace in the shape of a star.
Letohrádek Hvězda
Today, the Star Summer Palace is open to the public, and you can see several interesting exhibitions. On the first floor, there are temporary exhibitions on unusual books in the Czech and European context. On the ground floor is an exhibition about the summer palace itself. In the underground, you can see a model of the battle of White Mountain that took place in close vicinity from Hvězda. If you are not up to the cultural activities, you can have a cake and coffee in the garden of the summer palace.
The history of the Star Summer Palace dates back to the 16th century. Its shape of a six-pointed star has a magical meaning. The hexagram symbolizes the connection between the two opposites. Sometimes, people sensitive to energies can feel intense energy around this place. The interior is rich with stucco decorations that you can still admire inside. One more tip, if you are arriving in Prague by plane, the Star is very noticeable from the sky, thanks to the close vicinity of the Prague Airport.
Battle of White Mountain
You might know it or not, but the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48) of Europe started in Bohemian lands. Bohemian lands were mainly Protestants in opposition to Catholic Habsburgs. The famous battle of the White Mountain took place in November 1620, and the Protestant Union was defeated. After this battle, Bohemian and Moravian lands fell under the rule of Catholic Habsburgs until 1918 when independent Czechoslovakia was born.
The lost battle of the White mountain meant the violent recatholicization of the Czech lands when the majority of the population left (from 3 million only 800.000 remained). Today, at the place of the battle is a small monument with a great view of the Star Summer Palace and surrounding Central Bohemian Uplands.
How to Get to Hvězda
The easiest way is to take the metro green line to Petřiny, or tram 1 or 2 to Sídliště Petřiny and have a walk to the park. Another option is tram 22 or 25 to Vypich. The Star Summer Palace is open from May until September, but the park is open the whole year.
