Continuing on my comments regarding Mala Stana (Lesser Quarter) --- Vrtba Garden (Vrtbovska zahrada) is another of those little quite gems you will find if you take the time to walk around and explore Mala Strana.

So even if you only have 20 or 30 min for this little garden, do see it --- it's an excellent example of tiered gardens of Mala Strana.

If you are planning a visit to Prague Castle and are coming from Charles Bridge, you can see this garden on your way up. It is located behind the Aria Hotel which is right next door to the US Embassy.

This garden is quite unique in that it is more vertical than horizontal. Like the terraced rice fields of Bali, you walk up little staircases to each terraced level of the garden---slowly making your way to the apex of the triangle. When you reach the sculptured wall look for the doorway (there is a staircase behind it). Walk up the staircase and you will come out at the very top faced with a stunning view of the city of Prague. Behind you will be the US Embassy garden (if you do not see the US embassy garden behind you, you haven't climbed the staircase to the top).

This is a perfect location to get a great shot of the entire Prague Castle complex because it is so close by and yet far enough away that it fits entirely within your camera's viewfinder. There are countless other great shots you can get from up here. I took my favorite photo of Prague from up here (the dome of St. Nicholas at the upper left corner and the white red-topped houses of Mala Strana in the center with one tower of the Charles Bridge on the right---a perfect panorama and very colorful).

By the way, there is a small fee to enter the garden (it's free for those staying at the Aria Hotel).