The Deer Moat opened to visitors of the Castle 20 years ago

Prague - The current difficult accessibility of many places in the area of Prague Castle sharply contrasts with the situation during the tenures of Miloš Zeman's predecessors in the presidential chair. Václav Klaus and Václav Havel supported the maximum opening of the area to the public. Twenty years ago, on June 5, 1999, the Lower Deer Moat was opened to the public with the participation of Václav Havel. This part of the castle grounds is closed to the public this year, just like last year.

The Deer Moat is an area along the Brusnice stream with an area of over eight hectares. During the totalitarian era, it was inaccessible. The first part, Upper Deer Moat, was made accessible in 1996. In 2002, a pedestrian tunnel through the rampart of the Powder Bridge, designed by Josef Pleskot, was opened. This once again connected the Upper and Lower Deer Moat.

The Deer Moat was originally a natural ravine and served as a defensive barrier. During the reign of Ferdinand I in the mid-16th century, the moat was bridged, connecting the castle with the Royal Garden. During the reign of Rudolf II at the end of the 16th century, large game was introduced here for hunting, which gave the moat its name. Under Maria Theresa, the bridge was covered in 1771 with an earth rampart, which split the moat into Upper (over three hectares) and Lower (over five hectares). In the second half of the 20th century, the moat was closed to the public. Among the curiosities in the Upper Deer Moat was the now-defunct Bear House. It was established in the 1920s by President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk for bears he received as a gift from legionnaires from Russia. It ceased to exist in the early 1960s.

In 2017, some entrances to the lower part of the moat were closed citing security measures. Subsequently, the moat was closed for repairs to the northern curtain wall in the lower part, while work was being done in the upper moat to remove a sewer failure. Last year's repairs were expected to last ten months. This spring, the Prague Castle Administration announced that the Deer Moat would remain closed to the public this summer as well.

In addition to the repairs, some closed entrances and especially security checks have complicated visits to the Castle for several years. Checks have been in place at the entrance to the castle area since the summer of 2016. During certain peak times, long lines form at the entrance due to these checks.