The story of Grőbeho Vila in Prague starts with a railway magnate. Moritz Grőbe, a highly successful businessman, made his fortune building some of the city’s first railways. In 1870, he decided to build a grand villa for himself in Vinohrady, overlooking the city. Although the area was a bit of a suburb at the time, the area was rapidly being developed; the city was growing outward. Just imagine, a beautiful villa built on the edge of town with a magnificent vineyard stretching out towards the river! It was a vision of luxury, and Grőbe spared no expense to create it. The design of the villa, a mix of late Renaissance and Baroque styles, was entrusted to Anton Viktor Barvitius, one of the most respected architects of the time. The villa, which is now known as Grőbeho Vila, stands on a man-made terrace towering above the Botič valley, and because of this location, you can see a stunning view of the city.
The construction of the villa took three years and was officially inaugurated in 1874. The grounds were transformed into a gorgeous park with a gazebo, a grotto with a statue of Neptune, and a bowling alley. The interior of the villa was equally luxurious, with beautiful paintings, sculptures, and even a marble staircase. The villa was Grőbe’s pride and joy, but he sadly died in 1891. After his death, the villa changed hands several times, and during World War II, it was heavily damaged in an Allied air raid. It took a few years, but the villa was eventually repaired and restored to its former glory and it’s easy to see that all this hard work was worth it. Now, you see this impressive villa that was built on the edge of the city, but a century later, it is now surrounded by beautiful housing. This is what makes the Grőbeho Vila an architectural treasure: the remarkable contrast between its past and its present.