Vinohrady
Vinohrady is a late nineteenth-century residential suburb, dominated by long streets of grandiose apartment blocks, with few sights or attractions around. The area is quite comfortable with easy access to the New Town and many good restaurants around.
Vinohrady is situated in Prague Two’s administrative and municipal districts, fairly near to the centre of the city. The historical area of Prague’s major train station is located on the margins of Vinohrady.
In English, the literal meaning of Vinohrady is vineyards. It has this name because the region used to be draped with vineyards that dated from the fourteenth century. Emperor Charles the Fourth ordered the planting of the 1st grapes. These vineyards remained for about four hundred years before the region was handed over to farmers. Eventually, the region was used as a site for luxury townhouses. A small area of these vineyards has survived to this day, near the open-air Viniční Altán wine gardens.
These days, Vinohrady is mainly residential and not frequented by tourists. The only attraction that might be worth a detour is the Sacred Heart Church in Poděbrady Square. The main west Vinohrady square is called the Peace Square (Náměstí Míru), where you will discover the Gothic Revival St Ludmila Church and the Vinohrady Theatre.
Vinohrady has numerous parks. In the northwestern area of Vinohrady, close to Italská street, Rieger’s Orchards (Riegrovy sady) is located. This is the biggest and most beautiful park in Vinohrady. It was modelled on a classic British garden during the nineteenth century, and it remains a nice place to throw a blanket down and relax. Near to the back of this park, the bluff provides plenty of opportunities for photos of Prague Castle. During summertime, the open-air beer garden in this park is nice to visit.
Vinohrady boasts some of the best cafés and restaurants in the city, and it has a thriving gay scene, with lots of gay bars. Once you have witnessed the attractions in the city centre, you will wish to come here for a great meal. After dinner, you will have a good choice of clubs and pubs to go to.
