Grasalkovičova Záhrada, the gardens belonging to Bratislava's Presidential palace, were ceremonially opened to the public on Sunday, September 5.
President Rudolf Schuster marked the occasion by planting an oak tree in the gardens, which he said would be the first component of an eventual 'Presidential Alley' of trees to be planted. On the following day, Hungarian President Árpád Göncz also visited the gardens and planted a tree, as did German President Johannes Rau and Czech President Václav Havel during their visits to the Slovak capital in mid-September. Schuster's plan is that every foreign president to visit Slovakia will plant one tree in his garden.
Bratislava Old Town contributed 12 million Slovak crowns to renovate the gardens, while the Presidential Office contributed a set of public toilets, which it had required be built before the garden was opened to the public.
Visitors can now gain access to the gardens from Štefániková Street between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.
