The Deer Moat

Created by Brusnice stream this place used to be part of Prague Castle northern fortification and its purpose was to defend the castle. Interestingly, in 19th century archaeologists found out that the mouat hid traces of prehistoric settlement. After the Royal Gardens were created, the Deer Moat was arched by a wooden bridge on five stone pillars which was called Powder Bridge.

The bridge was later replaced by a dike that divides the bridge into upper and lower parts. During the reign of Rudolf II there was fence around the moat and it was used for hunting deer, hence the name of the moat. Unfortunately, all the deer was shot by French soldiers during the occupation of Prague in 1741-42.

Deer Moat also served as a rubbish dump. The moat once contained such unusual things as items from famous Rudolf’s collections that were not sold at auction. And about 100 years ago, you could see bears wandering in Deer Moat. Today, both upper and lower part of Deer Moat is accessible to public during the summer season. The former offers small meadows with a net of paths and benches, the latter has more of a natural character of the past. You can get to the lower part from the slope Opyš above Chotkova Street. The upper part is nearby the Powder Bridge.