4 Kids: Toulcův dvůr

Walk down the path that leads through the woods, or you will miss seeing the cow, goats, and sheep. You’ll also find: a natural materials “playground” in the lower field; a library/resource center; a “healthy” restaurant (where you can buy shots); two roomy gazebos for all-weather picnics, one near the horse corral and one near the cows; a bio shop, and another terrace shop where you can buy the farm’s own herbs; and accommodation.

On some days, the community activities spread into the other buildings that surround the courtyard. We checked the calendar of events page and found out about traditional Czech Easter Egg painting and another time we got to view the youngest spring animals up close. It’s best to visit the farm when there’s some event happening, even if you don’t manage to understand what’s spoken – you’ll still get more out of the experience than if you just self-tour the farm.

It’s a very safe place. True, one of my own kids fell from a woodpile, but I’m pretty sure she wasn’t supposed to be climbing it in the first place. Spray some tick repellant on your feet, though; the grass is tall.

Excellent value for money. Having a wander around is free. Workshops will cost less than 50 CZK a person or so, depending what materials will be used.

When I tried to translate Toulcův, the word didn’t exist in that form, so slovnik.cz gave me closest related words: wander, ramble, stroll. And that seems about right, even if there’s no relation. Here is a place to stretch out your legs and get a fresh whiff of air. Unless you come for an event, there isn’t all that much to do on the farm, besides sit and watch the animals. It’s not like a kids funhouse, with cars to ride around on and playground. But you will see at least two pigs, one cow and her calf, a herd of sheep and another herd of goats, rabbits, chickens, and geese.

It’s a fine thing that one minute you can be exiting the cinema at Park Hostivař shopping complex, and only minutes later you are walking down a forest path, headed to see some goats and sheep, frolicking on a hillside. That’s the essence of the experience, to me. The animals are minding their own business. The rabbits lump around, or sit in their hutches. Chickens zig zag around. Pigs lay their sty. All the animals are behaving exactly as you would expect – on a well-managed micro-farm.

The area is tucked between the last remaining fields between Spořilov and Hostivař. Just across the way begins Hostivař nature preserve. So it’s surrounded by paneláks, but what’s impressive is how Toulcův dvůr makes use of the land. If you’re driving, you’ll see how the surrounding neighborhood is just adorable. Old but well kept villas line the hilly cobblestone streets. This is a trip perhaps best joined with a stop at the Hostivař reservoir, which is quite close.