The Botanical Garden in Prague has presented the renovated vineyard house, offering 260 seats

Prague - The Botanical Garden in Prague's Troja has opened a completely renovated vineyard house in the vineyard of St. Klara. It now offers indoor spaces with a capacity of about 60 seats, a bar and kitchenette, as well as an outdoor terrace with approximately 200 more seats. For example, there are now also restrooms. The repairs and modernization cost around 24 million crowns. In an interview with ČTK, the garden's director Bohumil Černý said this. The Botanical Garden is also planning to build a water world, featuring waterfalls and various ponds, which should be completed in about three years.

"The vineyard house of St. Klara in the Botanical Garden complex is completely renovated and built into the vineyard slope so that the view of the vineyards is not disrupted. Practically only the outer walls remain from the original building; otherwise, the house is fully renovated," Černý said. The repairs took about a year and a half. "It was finished in May, but there was a trial operation until now; the botanical garden is now presenting the new wine shop to the public," he added.

The renovated part is made of reinforced concrete and combines historical elements with modern ones. The seating capacity is now approximately 60 people, and there are about 200 additional seats on the adjacent terrace. There is a kitchen, which can also serve as a facility for various catering companies, and a bar with wine stored in refrigerators. The wine shop will also offer snacks to visitors. The room opposite the main one has been renovated and features a fireplace and a smaller bar.

The Botanical Garden wants to hold wedding receptions in the new spaces in addition to wine tastings. According to Černý, the garden hosts around 60 ceremonies annually. "However, the wedding parties then went elsewhere for the reception. Now we are able to host a classic reception," Černý said.

The garden's management is also preparing a so-called water world next to the planned education center, which will offer classrooms for schools or families with children participating in various programs and workshops. The water world will be outdoor and will be built simultaneously with the center. "The Botanical Garden has long lacked water elements where visitors could refresh themselves. The water world will start with a waterfall, water will flow through various ponds, streams, and pools, and there will also be a reservoir at the end," Černý described. It is expected to be completed in about three years.

The history of the vineyard house dates back to the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. Originally, it served as a facility for employees who took care of the vineyards. In 1996, the vineyard came under the administration of the Botanical Garden of Prague and began serving visitors. It had two rooms where wine tastings were held, but lacked facilities for employees, for example.