The Petrin Lookout Tower (378 m above sea level) rises above the old center of Prague. The tower is also called a little sister of Eifel Tower or “Eifel of Prague” – Prazska ajfelovka. Walking up Petřín Hill is about a half-hour walk; however, a cable car service will take you up if you do not like climbing.
In this post, I will cover:
About “The Hill”
The “Petrin Hill” for short is called Petrin. It is a nice place right in the heart of a busy town. Therefore, you will meet many people here taking walks with dogs. Even sitting on the grass and resting or having a nice picnic after a busy day will be rewarding. And yes, it’s a tourist attraction but loved among Czech people.
Underground Tunnels
There are 18 underground tunnels on Petrin Hill, the longest of which is 365 meters long. The tunnels started to appear during the Middle Ages. The hill was rich in coal, iron, and ceramic raw materials. Therefore, lots of mining happened here.
The so-called Iron Tunnel is one of the most beautiful tunnels out there. It has a beautiful small lake and stalactites changing in colors from green to red can, but sadly, the tunnel is not open to the public.
However, many of these tunnels function as draining systems due to the many springs and water inside the hill. As a result of too much water, people like to compare the hill to a soaked sponge.
Do not lose hope; one of the tunnels is accessible. Which one?
It has the technical name “adit XXII,” and you can see an exhibition of photographs from Underground Prague. This tunnel is located in the Lobkovická Garden on Petřín, right next to the so-called lookout path, which leads from the Nebozízek cable car station towards Úvoz.
The popularity of Petrin Hill
“In the nineteenth century, People started to go on trips, walks, and picnics to Petřín. There was no Lookout Tower, yet People would come to spend the whole day here, enjoying the beautiful weather and nice views; however, this walk up the hill was not easy for some.
“There was a service that hung a lounger between two donkeys and helped people to get up.
About Lookout Tower
History of “Petrin”
Members of the Czech Tourists Club visited the world exposition in Paris. They got inspired by the Eiffel Tower in 1889 for their upcoming project.
The Club collected a significant amount of money for their dream tower. The construction started in March 1891 and finished in only four months.
The Petrin lookout tower is almost 64 meters high, and an elevator is in the middle. If you want to get some exercise, you can climb a total of 299 steps.
Time during WWII and after
Petrin Tower was almost destroyed during world war II when Hitler arrived in Prague in March 1939. He directly viewed the lookout tower from Prague Castle and said: “The disgusting building should remove.”
However, the tower survived, and the Germans did not demolish it during the entire protectorate.
A big change came after 1953 when a television broadcasting company installed an antenna on Petřín Lookout Tower. The elevator tube got filled with cables for a transmitter. Due to this change, the elevator stopped operating. Visitors still got to the top, but only up the stairs.
The antenna served as Prague’s television signal provider until the opening of the Žižkov Television Tower in late 1992.
The reconstruction(s) of Petrin Lookout Tower
The lookout tower was closed due to poor technical conditions in 1979 and did not open until 1991.
Major reconstruction happened in 1999, mostly during operation and without making the lookout tower inaccessible to tourists. They removed part of the broadcasting technology since the transmitter in Žižkov started to operate and installed two new staircases and an elevator for the disabled and the elderly in the newly installed tube.
You can also admire the pillars on which the building stands at the bottom of the construction.
What else to see at Petrin
Let’s start at the bottom of Petrin Hill. Before you make the hike up, or if you choose to take a cable car, there is a nice small garden and park to sit and rest.
Memorial to the Victims of Communism
The memorial is a series of statues commemorating the victims of a communist era between 1948 and 1989.
This memorial was revealed to the public on May twenty-second, 2002, twelve years after the fall of Communism.
Six bronze figures are descending a flight of stairs. The statues appear more “decayed” the further away they are from you – losing limbs and their bodies breaking open It symbolizes how political prisoners were affected by Communism.
There is a bronze strip that runs along the center of the memorial. It shows estimated numbers of those impacted by Communism:
- 205,486 arrested
- 170,938 forced into exile
- 4,500 died in prison
- 327 shot trying to escape
- 248 executed
The bronze plaque nearby reads:
“The memorial to the victims of communism is dedicated to all victims, not only those who were jailed or executed but also those whose lives were ruined by totalitarian despotism.”
Nebozízek Orchards (park)
This public park is between the cable car to Petřín and the “Hunger Wall.” Vineyards covered most of today’s gardens in the Middle Ages, and from the end of the 16th century, the vineyards slowly turned into orchards.
In the first half of the 19th century, the orchards were partially landscaped and opened to the public. You can spot several sculptures and statues of important people from a Czech past, including Karel Hynek Mácha.
Karel Hynek Macha, a famous Czech poet, wrote: “May” (May is time for love). Therefore, Petrin park is very popular among lovers, especially May first.
Many couples come here to get a kiss under a flowering cherry tree on May first.
“Old wife’s tale” says that you have to be kissed on May first under the blooming tree, preferably a blooming cherry tree, to stay beautiful for the next whole year.
Park at Petrin Lookout Tower
The park at the lookout tower at Petřín (also Petřínské sady) is a part of the Petřín plateau. There is a church of St. Lawrence, Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher, Calvary Chapel, Stations of the Cross, lookout tower, and mirror maze.
If you enjoy beautiful gardens, make a stop to check a rose garden Rose garden is at the top of Petřín.
Mirror Maze and Diorama
38 Large mirrors are lining narrow hallways inside the building, and the visitors can see themselves many times. Some mirrors are curved, so they distort the images to make you giggle.
How to get to Petrin Lookout Tower?
If you are coming from Prague Castle, the easiest route is to take tram #22, going directly to Ujezd station. The station is right next to Petrin Hill. Other trams are stopping here as well, 12,15,20,22.
Will you walk up and enjoy this beautiful park? If not, take advantage of a cable car service, which will take you up the hill with one stop in the middle. Do not forget about a ticket.
The cable car option is part of public transportation; therefore, there is a fee to use it.
I prefer to get a “24-hour ticket” during my visits. That way, I do not have to worry about having the right ticket, and I can switch between tram, metro, or bus as many times as I want.
Map of the Petrin Hill
As I said, there is plenty to explore and see during your visit to Petrin Hill. I would like to capture all of it, but this article would probably be three times longer.
If you wish to check more places:
- 1 – Torso of Invasion Tank
- 2 – Memorial to the Victims of Communism
- 3 – Cabel Car
- 4 – Statue of Jan Neruda – writer
- 5 – Statue of Karel Hynek Macha – Poet
- 6 – Hungry Wall
- 7 – Observation Deck
- 8 – Kinsky Garden – English-style garden with a view of Prague
- 9 – Pond
- 10 – Rose garden
- 11 – Garden park
- 12 – Magical Cavern – creepy 🙂
- 13 – The Štefánik Observatory
- 14 – Nebozizek ( first stop for cable-car )
- 15 – Petřín Gardens with a view of Prague castle area
- 16 – Mirror Maze
- 17 – The Lookout Tower
Easy day trips in Czech Republic & Prague
Are you planning a trip to the Czech Republic? Are you a bit overwhelmed about what place to visit and see? I know there is so much to see and not just in Prague! The whole country is full of beautiful Gems. Here are a couple of my blog posts to help you plan some day trips.
- Romantic day trip to Prague – On this Day Trip, I follow the previous post but move to the Old town square and areas around.
- The perfect day trip – Prague – A step-by-step plan, where you can see as much as possible on the side of river where Prague Castle is. Beautiful day full of nice walks and views.
- Lovely day trip – Kutna Hora – Kutna Hora is a favorite place for tourists to visit. You should definitely put it on your bucket list.
- Sedlec Ossuary – Kutna Hora – Kutna Hora is a UNESCO city famous for sights such as St. Barbara Church or Sedlec Ossuary, alias Bone Church and much more.
- Celiac? Traveling to the Czech Republic? – When you are traveling to the Czech Republic, here are helpful tips on letting people you are Gluten-Free, where to eat, and shop.
- Dancing house – Ginger & Fred – If you like unusual places or not boring square or rectangular buildings, you should carve a time to see them while visiting Prague.
and there you have it…. Enjoy the city and the whole country!!!!
Until next time…!
DOBROU CHUT!
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