A recreation place where you can spend the whole afternoon for free – this is the Folimanka Park near the Nusle Bridge. It offers many relaxation areas, sports activities for all ages, and a pleasant evening lighting for lovers and dog owners. But it also hides a big secret under its surface.

Transformations for tens of millions

On the site, there used to be farmhouses, vineyards and an apricot orchard owned by Jakub Foliman until the early 20th century. During the construction of the Nusle Bridge in the 1960s and 1970s, the area served as a base for the workers until 1973. Then it was transformed into a nice park of maples, ash trees and pear trees, water features, and modern sculptures.

The southern side of the park is lined with the Botič creek; the northern part rises up to a steep slope with stone walls. In 2016, terraces with benches and lighting worth CZK 14 million were built there. Most of the Folimanka Park, however, is flat and it was reconstructed for CZK 28 million in 2007.

Ideal for sports and weekend idyll

Families with small children can enjoy themselves on a huge playground with many attractions; older children and adults can use sports fields or just sit at the hypnotizing fountain and cascade water sculptures. Refreshments and toilets can be found in the caretaker’s house, or you can use the public drinking fountain.

Sports fans, especially those who like basketball, also know the local sports hall which is the home to the USK Prague team awarded with many local and international prizes. The matches always have a great atmosphere.

The underground shelter for the chosen

Few people know that there is a hidden “underground city” right under the Folimanka Park – bunkers with large corridors, rooms and toilets designed for the survival of chosen comrades in the event of a devastating war. Based on the experience of the two world wars and the hostility between the US and the USSR between 1950 and 1990, they were built under every major Czechoslovak town.

That is why some passers-by can notice the small chimneys and entrances to the underground near the Nusle Bridge. The adit shelter under the Folimanka Park was built in the 1950s using the latest technology. The area of 1,000 square metres was supposed to serve to 1,300 people. A generator, that works as a backup power source for the space, is fully functional and ready to be used even today.

How to get there

The Folimanka Park is situated on the territory of Prague 2 and Prague 4 – on the borders of Vinohrady, Nusle and the New Town (Nové Město) quarters. It is easily accessible by tram from Ostrčilovo náměstí Square, Svatoplukova Street, and Nuselské schody (Nusle Stairs). If you go by the metro, take the red C line and get off at the Vyšehrad station. Then walk down the stairs under the Nusle Bridge and walk along Svatoplukova Street to the Folimanka Park.