Fata Morgana Greenhouse

The Fata Morgana Tropical Greenhouse is located outside the outdoor exhibitions of Prague’s Botanical Garden, on the sunny southern slope of the Troja hillside. The modern building with an unusual axis-shaped plan is embedded in the rocky terrain. The naturally rugged rock surface, which forms the back wall of the greenhouse, is ingeniously used here for terraced planting. The result is a remarkable exhibition area of approximately 1,750 square metres, whose original design makes the Fata Morgana unique in Europe. All parts of the exhibition are interspersed with paths for visitors with a total length of 225 metres. The expositions are sensitively complemented by water features, ponds and waterfalls. Among the most attractive are a four-metre deep lake in the middle of the greenhouse with a total volume of 200 m³ and a waterfall almost 6 metres high.

The interior of the greenhouse is divided into three separate sections with different temperature and humidity levels, where visitors gradually get to know the flora of tropical and partly subtropical climates. The plantings are divided according to the major phytogeographical regions and are arranged in such a way as to evoke natural plant communities. In contrast to other greenhouses, many plant species common in the regions concerned are encountered here, with seemingly little horticultural significance. These are also localised plants taken during expedition collections undertaken by the botanical garden staff. The collection of these species represents very valuable study material.

The introductory part of the exhibition is devoted to the arid (dry) tropics and subtropics. The visitor is first greeted by the dry Australian bush and a display of rare flora from the island of Madagascar. Next, they will be introduced to the xeric (drought-loving) vegetation of southern Mexico and several areas of Africa, most notably Cape Namaqualand and the Little Karoo. The middle and largest part of the greenhouse is the lowland rainforest of the humid tropics. It is connected to the succulent part by an underground tunnel cut into the rock, at the end of which there is a view on both sides of two large freshwater aquariums inhabited by a variety of tropical fish and other animals. The largest part of the tropical forest is made up of the flora of South America and selected Central American localities, other parts are reserved for the flora of Australia and Oceania, Africa and Madagascar, Vietnam, the Sunda Islands and the Philippines. Visitors can once again enjoy watching life in tropical lakes, this time from above their surface, or pause for a moment on the observation deck and absorb the atmosphere of the rainforest to the sound of a nearby waterfall. The last, cooled part of the greenhouse brings the harsh environment of the high mountains closer. The plants of the American Andes, the mountainous regions of mainland and island Asia and subtropical southern Africa are represented here. The central part of the exposition is dedicated to the rare vegetation of the table mountains of Venezuela, the tepuia formation.

A trip through tropical nature is already a dream that can be fulfilled in Troja all year round. The remarkable shapes of the plants, the strange colours and interesting structures of the vegetation are constantly changing; different types of flowers are blooming and even new species of plants are being added. A walk through exotic mountains, forests and semi-deserts can thus delight any curious visitor at any time of year. A trip to this greenhouse in winter promises to be a small miracle of greenery among gloomy and cold days. So why not give this exhibition a chance to refresh your body and soul?

All access and paths in the greenhouse are wheelchair accessible.

Place: Botanická zahrada hl. m. Prahy, Nádvorní 134, Praha 7, Prague, Czech Republic
Dates:10 November 2023 – 23 March 2024

Each tour lasts approximately one hour and is designed primarily for adults and older children.

November 2023: Fridays and Saturdays at 17.10, 17.35, 18.00, 18.25, 18.50 and 19.15
December 2023: Fridays and Saturdays 17.10, 17.35, 18.00, 18.25, 18.50 and 19.15
January 2024: every Friday and Saturday 18.00, 18.25, 18.50, 19.15, 19.40 a 20.05
February 2024: every Friday and Saturday 18.00, 18.25, 18.50, 19.15, 19.40, 20.05
March 2024: every Friday and Saturday 19.15, 19.40, 20.05, 20.30, 20.55, 21.20

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