Rudavskýs’ Magic Garden, a private artistic oasis in Bratislava’s Podunajské Biskupice, is one of the highlights of this year’s Weekend of Open Parks and Gardens. (source: Národný Trust)
Stone appears in parks and gardens in many forms and shapes – from fountains and waterfalls to bridges, rockeries, walls, sculptures, garden furniture, and even caves. Visitors will have a chance to explore this element and its role in landscape design during the 17th edition of the Weekend of Open Parks and Gardens, taking place across Slovakia from June 6 to 8, 2025. This year’s main theme of the pan-European event is Stone in the Garden.
“As a natural material, stone offers wide-ranging possibilities in garden design and art, influencing not only the visual character of parks and gardens, but also their biodiversity, as it forms a key part of the soil substrate,” Michaela Kubíková, director of the Národný Trust (National Trust), the Slovak organisation behind the event, wrote in a press release. “Indeed, stone can be found in every single garden.”
Weekend of Open Parks and Gardens
June 6-8, some parks and gardens will be open on June 14-15
the vast majority of admission to each garden is free
tours are available only in Slovak or German, but at many gardens and parks, owners, organisers or volunteers will be able to provide a brief explanation in English.
for more information visit www.vopz.sk
Over 100 public and private parks and gardens across Slovakia will open their gates during the popular event. Visitors will have a unique opportunity to explore charming green spaces, uncover historical and contemporary stories behind each site, and take part in a diverse programme prepared in cooperation with local organisers, volunteers, and garden owners.
The initiative, which aims to highlight the importance of Slovakia’s green heritage in an engaging way, has had an international dimension since 2018, when it became part of the Rendez-vous aux Jardins – a pan-European movement promoting public access to parks and gardens. More than 1,000 gardens in over 20 European countries are expected to participate, celebrating the cultural and environmental value of these green spaces.
The interpretation of this year’s theme, Stone in the Garden, is broad, and local organisers have embraced it with creative enthusiasm.
Bratislava: Henček’s Garden, Rudavskýs’ Magic Garden, and a community vineyard
In Bratislava, 24 parks and gardens will participate, including long-time participants and newcomers alike. The main info-point will be in the Rómer’s House in the Old Town, the seat of the National Trust.
A notable newcomer is Rudavskýs’ Magic Garden, a private artistic oasis where nature blends with over 300 works of art, including sculptures, paintings, and installations. Founded in the 1960s in the Podunajské Biskupice borough by Andrej and Mária Rudavský – both prominent Slovak visual artists – the garden now also includes a second-generation gallery featuring visionary works by Ondrej Rudavský and original jewellery by Jacqueline Rudavský. During the weekend, visitors can look forward to guided tours, artist talks, live ambient music, and a truly immersive artistic experience.
Rudavskýs’ Magic Garden (source: National Trust )
Henček’s Garden in the Old Town has prepared a varied programme aligned with the main theme. Visitors can try climbing a natural rock slab with the Slovak Climbing Association JAMES, join yoga sessions, or enjoy sound therapy with Tibetan bowls.
Henček's Garden (source: National Trust )
Also joining the event for the first time is the Pionierska Vineyard and Community Garden in the Nové Mesto borough. Since 2014, a local community of neighbours and friends has been revitalising the vineyard – once part of a belt of vineyards stretching along Pionierska Street – while also cultivating vegetables, planting fruit trees and shrubs, and establishing flower meadows.
Returning favourites include the Prüger-Wallner Garden, Bratislava Calvary, the Liszt Garden, and the Albrecht House Garden. Outside the capital, visitors can explore a private lavender and rose farm in Záhorie near Malé Leváre, or the flower farm La Borinka near Bratislava.
Historic cemeteries and parks join in
The theme Stone in the Garden has also extended to historic cemeteries. In addition to the long-participating Jewish cemetery in Spišská Nová Ves, new sites this year include the Jewish cemetery in Poprad and the National Cemetery in Martin. In Bratislava, two cemeteries will open their gates – the Kozia brána Cemetery and the Mikulášsky Cemetery. The latter is believed to be the final resting place of sculptor Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, famed for his iconic Character Heads series.
Among the historic parks taking part are the gardens of the Strážky Manor and the park in Markušovce. For the first time, the park at Bojnice Castle, the Matica Slovenská park in Martin, and Barlanghyi Park in Trávnica will also open their gates.
A highlight this year are new tours of spa parks in Sliač and Nimnica, offering a relaxing and educational experience. Visitors can also explore the Tertiary Park in Považská Bystrica, designed to evoke the prehistoric Tertiary landscape.
As in previous years, botanical gardens and arboretums will also be part of the event, including the Botanical Garden in Banská Štiavnica, the Botanical Garden in Košice, and the Arboretum in Liptovský Hrádok.
