There is Petrin Hill in Prague. It is not the highest, but it is particularly picturesque and attractive compared to other hills. It has a remarkable tower, which is a symbol of Prague and the entire Czech Republic.
General information about the hill
The history of Petřín Hill is full of many interesting events and there are many sights associated with them. There is also a structure among them, which will be discussed in this article. This is the well-known Petřín Tower in Prague. Find out below how to get to this amazingly beautiful place. But first, let's see how it all began.
Previously, Petřín Hill had several names. At first it was called a mountain, then it was renamed St. Lawrence Hill (or Kopets). At that time, a cross was put on this place.
It should be noted that the bulk of the stones used in the construction of many Prague sights were mined from Petrin Hill. Now these broken places are well hidden by trees and other green vegetation.
A littlestories
Once, on the initiative of members of the Czech Tourist Club, a tower was built on Petrin Hill in Prague. This idea appeared after they visited the World Exhibition in France in 1889. This building is similar to the famous Eiffel Tower, but smaller.
Wilem Kurz in 1890 made an article in one of the newspapers with the initiative to build an observation tower in the Petřín area. Construction began in March 1891, and ended in August, after which it was inaugurated. More detailed information will be provided below in the article: what is the Petřín Tower, the address of the object, etc.
Today this building stands on top of a beautiful green hill and proudly towers over all of Prague, striking in its unique beauty.
Petrinska Tower in Prague: description
This tower is made of steel. The weight of the structure, which was created by engineers Julija Součka and František Prašil, is about 170 tons.
The height of the tower is 60 meters. In 1953, after strengthening a television antenna on it (the first relay station in the Czech Republic, which operated until 1998), the height of the structure increased by 20 meters.
Petrinska Tower has 299 steps. There is also an elevator here, which tourists can use for 50 crowns. The observation deck, located at a height of 55 meters, offers visitors a magnificent panorama of Prague. From it you can see all the city buildings, sights, picturesquesurroundings and hills. The last restoration work on the tower was carried out in 1999.
The lower level is occupied by souvenir shops and a small cafe, and the underground part contains a small museum of the famous literary hero Yar Tsimrman. Although the tower is not very high, it should be remembered that it stands on the very top of Petřín Hill, and as you know, its height is considerable.
Petrinskaya Tower, which is a kind of miniature copy of the Eiffel Tower, was built for the anniversary exhibition.
Location, how to get there
Petrinski Hill is located in the very center of Prague. Its height is 327 meters. It is located in the western part of Mala Strana, near the Vltava River (left bank).
In clear weather, from its observation deck you can see the highest mountain peak in the Czech Republic, called Sněžka. It is 150 kilometers away.
Convenient location for citizens and tourists (in terms of travel to it) has the Petrin Tower. Getting to it is easy and simple. You can get from the city using trams No. 12, 20, 22 and 57. You need to follow to the stop called "County". You can climb the tower itself in the two above ways: by funicular (for a fee), by walking up the stairs (for free).
Sights of the surroundings
1. The magnificent Victorian funicular is Prague's most popular attraction. The first stations were builtduring the same exhibition in 1891. The funicular goes up and down every 15 minutes. It accommodates up to 100 people, for which there are 70 standing and 30 seats. The last stop (there are only two) of the funicular is the Petřín Tower.
2. Outside, the Mirror Labyrinth is an ordinary miniature-sized castle, and inside it is an endless space. A rather complex system of mirrors forms bizarre tunnels in which a person feels cut off from reality. This attraction is interesting for both adults and children. At the end of the journey, there is a hall with highly distorted mirrors that distort the images of people beyond recognition, which is very amusing.
As a reward after the successful passage of the labyrinth, a historical diorama (the battle between the Swedes and Czechs in the war of 1648) opens up to the eyes of visitors. Those present surprisingly get the feeling of being in the thick of all the events.
3. Observatory. M. Stefanik currently has three telescopes: one is used only by scientists, and 2 others are available to all amateurs interested in other planets.
4. The Cathedral of St. Lawrence was built in the form of an elongated quadrangle. Its domed front is adorned with a statue of St. Lawrence.
Petrshinsky Gardens
The gardens around the tower amaze with their fabulous beauty. Magnificent examples of graceful architecture and flowering alleys are imprinted in the memory of numerous tourists.
At the very foot of the hill, the Seminary Garden extends, in the upper section of whichthere is a tower, surrounded on all sides by an amazing garden adjacent to it. In addition, the complex includes the following: Strahovskiy and Seminarskiy gardens, "Nebozizek" garden (named after the vineyard), a wonderful rose garden spread over an area of 5.6 hectares.
In beautiful gardens stands the equally charming Petřín Tower in Prague.
Address, opening hours
The tower, Petřín gardens and other sights remain in the memory of tourists who visited these amazingly beautiful places in the Czech Republic for a long time. Address: Petřín Gardens, Prague 1 – Mala Strana 118 00.
The Petřín Tower in Prague is open for tourists almost all year round.
Opening hours:
- March and October: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm daily;
- April - September: from 10:00 to 22:00 daily;
- November - February: from 10:00 to 18:00 daily.
What can you see from the observation deck of the tower?
Prague appears in all its immense glory from the height of the observation deck. From this place you can see the entire Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, the skyscraper area (Pankrac) and Vysehrad. Perfectly viewed from the height of the river. The Vltava and most of the bridges spanning it.
Fresh green tree crowns, the Mirror Labyrinth, the delightful Rose Garden and the Church of St. Lawrence are observed nearby. In the distance you can see the palaces of Lesser Town (Schönborn US embassy and Lobkovitsky - German embassies). In autumn when it fallsall foliage, on the territory of the German embassy you can see the famous sculpture "Trabant" on unimaginably large human legs (built in honor of the German political refugees of the 80s).
Petrshinskaya tower majestically rises above all these historical and natural sights, which you want to look at from a bird's eye view for an endlessly long time.
Conclusion
Even during the reign of Emperor Rudolf II (Renaissance), Petřín was the most popular place for recreation and walks. Gradually, ornamental shrubs and trees formed wonderful gardens there, pleasant to visit, especially in the heat of summer. Starting from the 17th century, gardens and parks in the Petřín Hill area began to be filled with statues of prominent Czechs.
Today, the tower looks especially beautiful and spectacular at night. In the dark, its bright original backlight attracts attention.
In conclusion, it should be said that funds for the implementation of such a wonderful idea as the construction of a tower with an observation deck were collected throughout the country. The idea that tourists once had after visiting Paris came to life in just 5 months.
