ORIGIN AND HISTORY

The Royal Game Park is situated next to Výstaviště Holešovice between the streets Za Elektrárnou and Nad Královskou oborou and a blind arm of the Vltava River called Malá říčka (Small River). Its area changed in various time periods and at present it spreads on the area of 95 ha. The game park was founded during the reign of Ottokar II of Bohemia (Přemysl Otakar II.) who had it enclosed as a game park and built the Summerhouse. During the Hussite period it was damaged, but during the reign of Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary (Vladislav Jagellonský) it was renewed again. Since the Hussite period the game park was made accessible to the public on the saint’s day of St. Gotthard. The measurement of the game park is documented in the year 1536, at that time it was approximately 86 ha (1500 x 1000 footsteps). Ferdinand I of Austria had it extended and connected directly by the direct way to the Prague Castle between 1536 and 1548. A pound was established, the trees brought from Šárka were planted and continuously two parts were created: the eastern game park with the Summerhouse was separated by a wall from the western peasantry and gamekeeper’s lodge, which later became a fruit garden. In the times of Rudolph II, the place enjoyed its main heyday. The Summerhouse at the slope was remodeled in the Renaissance style, the game park was extended and a large – today no existing – pond was expanded to 21 ha and an island in the middle of it was founded. 

Its most important remnant till today is the Oak Hillock (Dubový pahorek), which is a raised island of the former pond where mighty well-preserved oaks grow. In the years between 1582 and 1593 a unique work was created in order to supply the pound with water from the Vltava River: the Rudolph’s Adit (Rudolfova štola). Although the Great Pound was later filled, the Rudolph’s Adit of the length 1102 m brings water from the Pichl’s house at the Štefánikův Bridge through a tunnel under Letná all the way to Stromovka, where the adit entrance is mounted with a Renaissance portal with the date 1583 and initials of Rudolph II. In the first half of the 18th century, the game park became several times a military camp, which had disastrous consequences. It was so damaged that its winding up was considered. Thanks to Count Kinsky’s care it was finally renewed, thus festivities during the coronation of Francis I (František I.) could be held there. His imperial decree from the year 1804 definitely confirmed its accessibility to the public and since that time the effort to change the game park into a large landscape park in English style has been dated. After 1850, a tree garden (Baumgarten in German language) was founded and that is probably the reason why the park is called Stromovka. However, the game breeding was not restored; the parterres were created as well as ornamental flower beds, pools and fountains. In addition, the sculpture decorations were mounted. The wall separating the fruit garden and the game park was removed. 

Stromovka was damaged by floods in August, 2002 when about one-third of the entire enclosure was destroyed. The biggest losses occurred in the of the former Rudolph’s pond. The flood damage a great number of trees, about 200 of them were wrecked immediately, 300 died in consequence of lack of oxygen in the soil and other 200 trees withered. After the floods, Stromovka was made accessible to the public on 1 April 2003.