The complete renovation of the legendary Koch Garden has begun
03. 06. 2025
Bratislava, 3 June 2025 – From the moment the capital city acquired the Koch Garden (Kochova záhrada) in 2022, it has been working continuously on its renovation. The impassable, overgrown garden was transformed into a park with an exceptional historical atmosphere, and even though it was only briefly open to the public, it quickly became a popular and sought-after place. Now it will undergo a complete renovation, due to which this little paradise in the middle of the city will be even better and, above all, safer for visitors. The capital city, in cooperation with the Staré Mesto (Old Town) city borough, can carry out the renovation of this national cultural monument thanks to financial support under the Interreg Slovakia – Austria programme, as well as a contribution from the VUB Bank Foundation.
Intricate walkways, unique sculptures of a Mother with Child or Lovers, as well as nooks and crannies with relaxation areas in a unique, historical environment – the legendary Koch Garden offers all of these things.
Prior to the capital city’s acquisition of this unique historical green space from the Ministry of the Interior, the garden was effectively in disrepair. Only maintenance work on the basis of volunteer brigades and activities was carried out there. The long-term lack of systematic maintenance resulted in a decrease in the species diversity of trees as well as the disruption of its architectural components and works of art.
Once this national cultural monument came into the ownership of the capital city, a major cleaning began, during which up to 10 tonnes of waste were removed from the garden. Areas that had been inaccessible and ignored for years have been completely cleaned. Bratislava benches were added; old trees were trimmed for safety, and several damaged, old or dead trees and bushes had to be removed, as they posed a great risk to garden visitors. The staircases and fallen or collapsed retaining walls near the pool were also reconstructed.
Now, at the beginning of June, a complete renovation of the rare Koch Garden has begun, which is planned to be completed by December of this year. In the scope of this work, new greenery will be planted, so that the garden will once again become a beautiful green oasis in the middle of the city. The new planting will to the extent possible respect the garden’s historical species composition and preserve the character of its collection. Along with more than a dozen new, young, healthy trees, over 500 shrubs and thousands of perennials and aquatic plants will also be added. Further, the external retaining walls around the garden will be reconstructed and a visitor/interpretation centre will be built, as well as facilities for visitors. The pavements, benches, and all furnishings in general will be renovated. The statues will also be restored, and the pool will be reconstructed and will serve as a pleasant water feature. All of this work is being consulted on with the Regional Monuments Office. The aim is that this beautiful and rare green space be open to the public again next season.
The capital is also able to implement such an extensive renovation of the Koch Garden thanks to financial support from the Interreg Slovakia – Austria cooperation programme. Thanks for cooperation also belongs to the VÚB Bank Foundation, which made a major financial contribution to this project.
The Koch Garden was established in the early 1930s on the site of what was originally a vineyard and was part of a private surgical and orthopaedic facility founded by Doctor Karol Koch.
The architectural project was elaborated by a trio of prominent architects of the time: Dušan Jurkovič, Jindřich Merganc and Otmar Klimeš. The garden’s greenery was developed and implemented by Jozef Mišák, a well-known Slovak botanist, gardener, and creator of the Arboretum in Tesárske Mlyňany. As a result, the Koch Garden also came to be called “Malé Mlyňany” (“Little Mlyňany”).
The unique location of the garden on a slope and the construction of the sanatorium building itself, which protects the garden from northern winds, created microclimatic conditions suitable for growing various exotic and evergreen plants. As many as 120 species and cultivars of trees, 30 coniferous and 26 deciduous exotic evergreen trees, were originally planted on the relatively small and rugged area covering less than half a hectare and were complemented by works of art, a sunbathing area, garden paths... Unfortunately, years of disrepair means that only the torso of the original beauty still remains. The goal of the capital city now is to restore the uniqueness of this beautiful place, to create another high-quality, green public space for the people of Bratislava and thus once again to contribute to a greener and healthier Bratislava.
The Koch Garden restoration project was initiated as a result of previous cooperation between some Slovak and Austrian partners. The capital city joined the project in April 2024 with the goal of revitalising the Koch Garden and obtaining know-how in the field of biodiversity-friendly green space management.
Project name: Mestá.Záhrady.Rozmanitost’ / Städte.Gärten.Vielfalt / Cities.Gardens.Diversity
Programme name: Interreg V-A SK-AT