Kroměříž Flower Garden (Květná zahrada) is a Baroque-era walled garden in the city of Kroměříž, regarded as a jewel of European garden design and part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Created between 1665 and 1675 for the Bishops of Olomouc, this 10-hectare garden is exceptionally well-preserved, allowing visitors to step back into the grandeur and order of a 17th-century formal garden. It is characterized by strict geometric layouts, elaborate floral parterres, sweeping colonnades, and playful architectural follies, all executed with a masterful artistry that influenced garden design in Central Europe.

Entering through an ornate gate, one is greeted by the stunning central Flower Parterre: a vast level lawn intricately patterned with broderie (embroidered) flower beds of seasonal plants, low clipped boxwood hedges, and colored gravel. The parterre’s symmetric design radiates from a fountain at its center and is best appreciated from an elevation – which the garden provides via its remarkable Colonnade. This 244-meter-long arched walkway runs along the garden’s perimeter on one side, lined with 44 sandstone busts of ancient gods and muses. Climbing a staircase onto the Colonnade’s roof terrace grants a panoramic view over the entire Flower Garden, revealing its precise patterns and the surrounding city beyond.

At the far end of the parterre stands the Rotunda, a circular pavilion with a domed roof and rich interior frescoes (including an impressive depiction of the heliocentric universe on its dome). The Rotunda was designed both as a garden salon and as an ingenious demonstration space – inside it, a Foucault pendulum is installed today, swinging from the dome to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. Outside, the Rotunda is encircled by a small moat and flower beds, and nearby geometrically-pruned yew trees form green architecture in harmony with the building.

The Flower Garden also contains several smaller themed gardens tucked behind hedges. A notable section is the Labyrinth – high walls of neatly trimmed hornbeam form a twisting maze that delights visitors (especially children) as they attempt to find the hidden central gazebo. Elsewhere, an Orangery (built in the 1840s) houses citrus trees and tropical plants, continuing the garden’s tradition of plant cultivation. Statues, fountains, and grottos are interspersed throughout: for instance, a pair of peacock sculptures grace one path, and a scenic lily pond with a statue of Neptune provides a tranquil corner within the formality.

Open to the public for an admission fee, Kroměříž Flower Garden invites admiration both for its horticultural beauty and for the technical skill of its design. Visiting in summer when the parterre blooms in full color or in spring when thousands of tulips and daffodils emerge in historic patterns is especially rewarding. Together with the adjacent Castle and its garden, the Flower Garden represents the pinnacle of Baroque garden art in the region, a hidden historical masterpiece that continues to enchant with its symmetry and splendor.