Průhonice castle and park

The day before yesterday we moved the hands on our clocks one hour forward to enjoy longer evenings with more light, and it’s that time of the year when I begin to anticipate seeing colours returning to nature. In freshly growing grass, new lush leaves, delicate flowers, bushes in blossom, and in the bright sunny sky…

But it’s always wise not to expect too much too soon. Until mid-May, we can still experience frosty days. Last year spring began warmly, but then the frost arrived mercilessly, burning the buds, flowers, and leaves – much was lost. This year the forecast suggests that April will be a cold month, which I hope will help keep nature’s spring progression gradual, preventing similar damage.

While contemplating spring and its colours, my thoughts drifted to our journey last year to Průhonice, a small town on Prague’s outskirts. There stands an impressive castle with surrounding park, renowned for its variety of bushes, flowers, and thoughtful landscape design.

The Průhonice Castle and its accompanying park have earned recognition as both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Cultural Monument, underscoring their cultural and historical significance.

We explored the park in April and, despite the frost damage evident in some places, we encountered numerous vistas to admire and enjoy.

The park paths are winding throughout the expansive grounds, making it effortless to spend an entire day wandering unhurriedly, absorbing the seasonal beauty at every turn. If you are new to the park, you have a map at your disposal to choose the way and perhaps not to wander too far unintentionally.

It was a beautiful sunny day yet from the photography perspective, the conditions presented considerable challenges despite our early arrival. The harsh light created excessive contrast resulting in difficult-to-recover bright patches interspersed with dark areas with less detail. What a test of patience to get reasonable results, even when shooting in raw format…

On the other hand, the intense light occasionally produced impressive effects, such as the prominent shadow patterns beneath the arcade shown above.

I had wanted to discover whether the park’s widespread acclaim was justified, and I was certainly not disappointed. I’m eager to revisit during a different season to witness other floral displays and explore the park’s botanical garden and gallery. Something wonderful to be looking forward to.