Ferdinand I. of Habsburg created the Royal Gardens in the year 1534. They are separated from the Prague Castle by the deer moat that is spanned by the Powders Bridge. At the beginning, the gardens were designed in the Renaissance style, then Baroque, and later acquired an English style.
At the entrance on the left side, there is the Lion Court from the time of Rudolf II. Wild animals were kept here during his reign. Rudolf II. was an emperor with many personal problems that caused him deep depression. A legend says that his astrologer predicted that his destiny was deeply connected with the destiny of his favourite lion, Mohammed. When the lion died, Rudolf II lived for only three more days.
The gardens were destroyed at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War but were saved during the Prussian invasion of the year 1741, supposedly because the gardener donated three dozen pineapples to the Prussian general.