Statue of Karel Hynek Mácha at Petřín, Bronze statue in Petřín Gardens, Prague, Czech Republic
The statue of Karel Hynek Mácha stands in the central part of the Petřín Gardens at a park-path junction. The bronze figure, on a granite pedestal, leans forward with bowed head, his left elbow on an unusually shaped plinth. His right hand holds a pen on an open notebook; his left holds a lilac spray he is about to smell.
The monument was built in the early 1900s to honor a poet who lived and died in the middle of the 1800s. His romantic works became a turning point in Czech literary history.
The bronze ribbon on the pedestal carries the opening line of Mácha's poem Máj: "Byl pozdní večer, první máj" (It was late evening, the first of May). The lilac in his left hand was chosen after consultation with František Thomayer, who designed the Petřín gardens. A copy of the statue stands in Litoměřice, where the poet died.
The monument is located in the Petřín Gardens in the Malá Strana district and is easy to find while exploring the famous park area. The best time to visit is during warmer months when the gardens are well-maintained and the surroundings feel welcoming.
The ribbon on the granite base carries the opening line of Mácha's poem Máj, "Byl pozdní večer, první máj". A bronze laurel wreath hangs in the left corner, and lime branches with a small Czech lion relief sit beside the figure. The sculptor Myslbek chose the plants after consulting František Thomayer, who designed the Petřín gardens.
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