Articles about parks are some of my favorite on any Spotted by Locals site. I need to balance the rush of the city with some fresh air. Obora Hvězda is just perfect for that. Beside other parks in the wider center of Prague, Obora Hvězda has a very foresty character. But the central part hides a beautiful renaissance summer palace, and you might suddenly feel very aristocratic walking around. 🙂

The summer palace was build in the 16th century and has an interesting six-pointed star shape. It’s very noticeable from the airplane by the way! Rumour has it that it was built out of love and given to the beloved lady of Ferdinand II. (Tirol), a gentleman from the Habsburg monarchy who was responsible for Czech lands at the time. It hosts exhibitions, but it’s closed in winter.

The park itself is accessible all year long and is actually loved by locals for cross-country skiing. I used to ski there myself when I was little! Well, those winters were much whiter as the majority of Czech senior citizens would say.

The park is accessible with public transport — I would recommend to take tram to stop “Sidliste Petriny” or “Vypich”. Enjoy!