Prague is one of the greenest cities in Europe. You can relax in the beautiful parks and forests, but the most picturesque areas are undoubtedly the vineyards, some of which are a thousand years old. They all have one thing in common – an unmistakable atmosphere, enchanting views of the city, stories worth knowing and unique, authentic wines worth tasting. Prague’s vineyards open every year in May during the wine festival. Prague owes its rich wine tradition to the French King Charles IV the Fair, who received his seven-year-old nephew, the future Holy Roman Emperor and the most important Czech ruler Charles IV, at his court in 1323. The latter spent the most formative years of his life in France and brought back to Bohemia not only French court etiquette and political thinking, but also his love for fine Burgundy wine. In 1358, he ordered that all the southern slopes of Prague be planted with vines, thus establishing one of the largest and northernmost wine-growing regions in Europe. According to legend, he was disappointed with the wine from the first local harvest. Every Prague resident knows the saying “Bitter at first, then fine to savour,” words placed in the King’s mouth by one of the most famous Czech poets, Jan Neruda. Fortunately, the emperor soon came to appreciate its earthy character. Supposedly, the wine is like the Czechs: it takes a while to get to know, get used to, before you discover its uniqueness. Definitely give it a try – both with us Czechs and with wine from our Prague vineyards. Prague’s largest and most beautiful vineyards, whose origins date back to Charles IV, can be found in the Troja district of Prague: Salabka is the largest vineyard in Prague and the St. Claire Vineyard is considered the most beautiful. At its foot stands Troja Chateau, the work of French-born architect Jean Baptiste Mathey, which gives the whole area a Mediterranean charm. Indeed, the local climatic conditions are also reminiscent of France. The Troja vineyards are located near the Vltava River, which together with the favourable microclimate creates unique conditions for growing grapes. The style of the local Rieslings is particularly reminiscent of those from the Mosel Valley. In addition to these, several other varieties are grown here, such as Müller-Thurgau, Sauvignon and Roter Traminer, and of course the ancient Burgundy varieties of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. The local wines can be tasted at both vineyards. To be fair to the winemaking efforts of Prague’s inhabitants, we must admit there were several vineyards here even before Charles IV. The oldest is the St. Wenceslas Vineyard at Prague Castle, which was allegedly founded more than a thousand years ago by St. Wenceslas, the main Czech patron saint. Legends even say that he harvested the grapes himself and prepared the wine for mass. The St. Wenceslas Vineyard in the grounds of Prague Castle, linked with this legend, is the oldest vineyard in Prague and one of the oldest in the whole of Czechia. Wine is produced from the harvest to this day, but the edition is very limited and intended only for state visitors and special guests of the President of the Czech Republic. Comparable in age to the vineyard at Prague Castle is the vineyard at Vyšehrad, a place shrouded in Slavic legends, where the mythical Princess Libuše predicted Prague’s starry future as long ago as the 8th century. The owner of the most extensive vineyards was the local collegiate chapter, to whose gardens the vines were restored in 1993 after a hiatus of several decades. Its production today is small and amounts to about 300 bottles. They are all numbered and retained for the exclusive use of the chapter. Another vineyard is operated by the Vyšehrad National Cultural Monument itself; an interesting feature is the young, barely ten-year-old vineyard on the slope below Vyšehrad, established on the premises of the Podolí Maternity Hospital. The neighbourhood that most vividly recalls its wine tradition is undoubtedly Vinohrady. Although the once ubiquitous vineyards have mostly given way to expanding development, their glory is still recalled by the Grébovka conservation area. The wine from the local vineyard is processed on site and can be purchased in the local cellar every Friday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., always while supplies last. Guided wine tastings can be attended at the Horní Landhauska estate, which is part of the compound. Several ancient vineyards can be found in other parts of Prague. They were managed almost exclusively by religious institutions. The Premonstratensians from the Strahov Monastery operated a vineyard on the slopes of Petřín Hill, and the Vyšehrad Chapter established a vineyard in today’s Modřany neighbourhood in the 11th century. Both have now been restored: the Premonstratensian one at Jánský vrch in 2004 by the Prague City Council; the Modřany vineyard was saved in the 1980s by members of the Czech Gardener’s Union, which parcelled it out and still farms it today, producing wine for their own use. The harvest from the Jánský vrch vineyard is processed into wine that is not normally available for sale, but can be tasted at events and festivals focused on Prague winemaking. There are over two dozen vineyards in Prague dating back to the early Middle Ages and the time of Charles’ fascination with Burgundy. In addition to those mentioned above, there are several others in Dejvice, Vítkov and Prosek. Each of them is worth seeing.