Prague has a new vineyard on Vítkov Hill

Another vineyard is opening in Prague, on Vítkov Hill in the city’s Žižkov district. This brings the total up to 14.

While the city is
closely associated with beer, it actually has a long history with
wine as well, and the upscale Vinohrady district used to have royal
vineyards before the land was taken over for housing.

The most famous
current municipal vineyards are Klára and Salabka in Troja, Máchalka
vineyards in Vysočany, and Grébovka at the edge of Vinohrady and
Vršovice.

“Vineyards belong
inherently to Prague, in the past there were significantly more in
the capital than today. In the 19th century, however, they were
canceled and replaced by other crops. Where possible now, we are
creating or extending new vineyards. Vineyard visits are very popular
among Prague residents and visitors of our town,” Prague Deputy
Mayor Petr Hlubuček (United Force for Prague) said on the City Hall
website.

The new vineyard in
Vítkov takes its inspiration from the historical use of the southern
slopes of Vítkov for grape cultivation, first documented at time of
Charles IV.

The vineyard, with
an area of over 1,300 square meters, has 686 grapevines. Acacia
sticks were used to stabilize the plants, and the whole slope was
stabilized by hydro-sowing so that grass cover was connected and
erosion on the steep slope was prevented. The vineyard is also
surrounded by a metal fencing, which contributes to the overall new
look.

The new vineyard
project was prepared by Prague City Hall’s Department of
Environmental Protection in 2018. It now extends on a slope above the
pavement rising from the underpass of the former railway line towards
the Vítkov Memorial.

The extremely dry
slope had been a long-term problem from the point of view of garden
maintenance, the existing grassland was completely dry in the summer
months. The basic intention was to substantially improve the dismal
state in a significant entrance to the park.

The total costs for
the revitalization of the area and the establishment of the vineyard,
including fencing, was 4.2 million CZK and was fully covered by the
budget of the City of Prague.