Meditační zahrada, Memorial garden in Plzeň, Czech Republic

The Meditation Garden is a memorial site built on a transformed orchard with ornamental trees, water features, and twelve sandstone sculptures depicting the Stations of the Cross. The design combines natural landscaping with spiritual imagery to create a reflective space.

Luboš Hruška, imprisoned for over a decade under the communist regime, returned in 1960 to the orchard in Plzeň-Doudlevce given to him by his father František. He felled the fruit trees and reshaped the terrain into a meditation garden. In 1995 he donated the completed site to the Diocese of Plzeň.

The garden is dedicated to Saint Maximilian Kolbe and serves as a place for religious ceremonies and quiet reflection. The chapel designed by Jan Soukup and Jiří Opl functions as a center for spiritual gatherings and personal prayer.

The garden is seasonally accessible with well-marked paths connecting the sculptures and chapel building. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and allow time for slow walking to fully appreciate the meaning of each installation.

Roman Podrázský carved the twelve sandstone sculptures for free between 1987 and 1989, while the StB secret police kept the work under constant surveillance. Hruška paid for the stone and its transport from his own wages, and the pieces were installed in the garden between 1987 and 1991.