The Star Enclosure Park and Summer Chateau (Obora Hvezda)

The Star Enclosure, also known as Obora Hvezda, is a historic park in Prague 6 and covers an area of approximately 85 hectares and it’s the perfect place for an afternoon walk and easy escape from the busy centre of Prague.

The park is free to enter with small entry fee to the actual Star Chateau, which now hosts art exhibitions. The park has quite a few walking trails and the main paths around the Star Chateau are suitable for cycling, children’s buggies and wheelchairs.

The Star Enclosure was originally set up as a royal game reserve park in 1530 by the Bohemian King Ferdinand I, and it was used for hunting and other recreational activities by the royal family and their guests. In the 16th century, the park was transformed into a Renaissance-style summer palace, which was designed to resemble a six-pointed star.

My favourite thing to do here in the summer is to have a iced coffee from the coffee place at the Star Chateau and sit in the colourful reclining chairs on the lawn which are provided by the art gallery.

If you are in Prague in September you can also watch the re-enactment of the White Mountain Battle of 1620, which takes place just outside the park walls. I go most years and it’s a really well-put-together event with many professional re-enactors groups taking part. There is also a medieval village with food stalls, tents and things to keep the kids occupied.

My favourite things about Obora Hvezda (Star Enclosure)

Great place for long walks, which are mostly flat
Amazing cafe at the Letohradek Hvezda (Star Summer Chateau) with fantastic homemade cakes and savoury croissants
Easy to get to from the centre of Prague by tram

MORE PARKS & GREEN SPACES IN PRAGUE

History of the Star Enclosure

The Star Enclosure started it’s history as a humble forest called Malejov, which originally belonged to the nearby Břevnov Monastery ever since the 10th century. King Ferdinand I of Habsburg bought it at the beginning of the 16th century, and in 1534 he established a game reserve there.

His second-born son, Ferdinand of Tyrol, who was also the imperial governor in Bohemia, had a summer palace in the shape of a six-pointed star built in the middle of the reserve, based on his own design between 1555 and 1556.

The summer palace was built and decorated by the top architects and builders including Giovanni Maria Aostalli and Giovanni Lucchese as well as Hans Tirol and later Bonifác Wohlmut.

The Renaissance-style summer palace was probably intended to serve as both a hunting lodge and a place for relaxation. The game reserve was originally used for hunting, but after its restoration in the 18th century, the nobility didn’t continue with the hunting and the reserve kept only pheasants birds.

About a century later, Bohemian Emperor Joseph II decided that it would be used as a gunpowder storage facility. From 1952 to 1996 the chateau was used as an museum with A. Jirásek and M. Aleš works.

The chateau was reconstructed in 2004 and now the ground floor is dedicated to Ferdinand of Tyrol and the history of Hvězda, stucco decoration of the interior, period art and science, the White Mountain period of Czech history and its reflection in visual arts, especially in 18th-19th century literature, and the reconstruction and use of the summer palace in the 20th century.

In the basement, there is also a model of the Battle of White Mountain.

MORE PARKS & GREEN SPACES IN PRAGUE

What else you can see in the Star Enclosure

Besides the Star Summer Palace (Hvězda), there are other structures in the game reserve. On the slope below Hvězda, there is the Ball Game Hall (Míčovna), as well as the stables, house No. 86 called the Gamekeeper’s Lodge (Myslivna), and house No. 1 known as the Steward’s House (Správcovský dům).

The reserve is enclosed by a tall wall, which has two gates, the Břevnov Gate and the Liboc Gate.

During the Thirty Years’ War and the Battle of White Mountain, most of the trees inside the reserve were cut down. At the end of the 18th century, the forest was restored, with oaks, beeches, and hornbeams trees and some of the oldest oaks and beeches are in the reserve today.

In 2005, a new pond called Ve Hvězdě was built in the lower part of the reserve, which is great to sit around especially in the summer.

MORE GARDENS & GREEN SPACES

Educational Trail Obora Hvězda

To get to know the park better you can follow the educational trail. There are 14 panels with information about the sights, history and nature, which take you through the best parts of the park. The trail is not marked as such, but it’s easy to follow and the whole walk is about 4 kilometres.

Well House – Svetlicka

The Well House hides a well, which is over 30 meters deep and protect it from rain and bad weather conditions. The house was renovated in 2019, and while it is not open to the public, you can look inside through the windows and see the winch which was used to pump water from the well.

Underground, there is also a shaft for collecting water directed into the former Prague castle water system.

Shaft No. 1

On your walk you can also see the entrance to an old shaft, which was probably created by mining stone or sand in the reserve. Today, bats live in the inaccessible part of the shaft.

MORE GREEN SPACES IN PRAGUE

Practical Information for visiting the Star Enclosure

Location: Na Vypichu, Prague 6

Opening Times: The park grounds are open all year round from dawn to dusk (usually). The park doesn’t have a locked gates, but there is no street lighting there after dark.

Ticket Prices: Free entry to the park grounds. The gallery entrance tickets are 120 CZK (Adults), 80 CZK (Seniors & Students) and 60 CZK (Children). Children have free entry until the age of 6.

How to get to Star Enclosure from the centre of Prague

The beginning of the journey is very similar to the way you reach Prague Castle from the centre. Take tram 22 from the city centre (e.g., from Národní třída (underground station line B) or Malostranská Underground Station A line) and ride about 35 – 40 minutes to the stop called Obora Hvezda. You will pass Prague Castle Hill with the historic Strahov Monastery on your way there, as well as Brevnov Monastery and you will be only two more stops from the tram terminal close to the Pilgrimage Church at Bila Hora.

You will see the park from the tram stop, so just walk straight ahead and you will get to the enclosure gates in about 3 minutes.

Alternatively you can also get tram number 1 or 2 to Sidliste Petriny (about 25 min from the centre of Prague) and walk straight to the park through the Libocka Brana (Liboce Gate). I’ve done this recently as an alternative way to get to Hvezda and had a great take out chai latte from a little coffee shop (Kiosek Petriny) at the end of the tram line. That was a really great way to start my walk in the park!

This blog post was originally written on 31 March 2025 and last updated on 31 March 2025