Replica of the eiffel tower in prague. Petrin Hill in Prague - the most beautiful views of Prague Castle and the Eiffel Tower in Czech. Petrin Tower in Prague: description

There is Petřín 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 whole 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 placed 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 dug places are well hidden by trees and other green vegetation.

A bit of history

Once, on the initiative of members of the Czech Tourist Club, a tower was built on the Petřín 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 took the initiative to build an observation tower in the Petřín district in an article in one of the newspapers. Construction began in March 1891, and ended in August, after which it was inaugurated. Below in the article more detailed information will be presented: what is the Petrin 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.

Petrin Tower in Prague: description

This tower is made of steel. The weight of the structure, the authors of which are engineers Julija Soucka and Frantisek Prasil, 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.

The Petřín Tower has steps, there are 299 steps in total. 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, picturesque surroundings 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, while 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.

The Petrin Tower, which is a kind of miniature copy of the Eiffel Tower, was built for the anniversary exhibition.

Location, how to get there

Petrin 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. The distance to it is 150 kilometers.

The Petřín Tower has a convenient location for citizens and tourists (in terms of traveling to it). 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 built during 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 successfully passing the labyrinth, a historical diorama (the battle between the Swedes and Czechs in the war of 1648) opens up to the gaze of visitors. Surprisingly, those present have a feeling of being in the thick of all the events taking place.

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 is built in the form of an elongated quadrangle. Its convex front is adorned with a statue of St. Lawrence.

Petrin 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 stretches the Seminary Garden, in the upper part of which there is a tower, surrounded on all sides by an amazing garden adjacent to it. In addition, the complex includes the following: Strahov and Seminar 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 have 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 to tourists almost all year round.

Opening hours:

• March and October: from 10:00 to 20:00 daily;
• April - September: from 10:00 to 22:00 daily;
• November - February: from 10:00 to 18:00 daily.

What can be seen from the observation deck of the tower?

Prague is presented in all its immense beauty from the height of the observation deck. From this place you can see the entire Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, the area of ​​skyscrapers (Pankrac) and Vysehrad. Perfectly viewed from the height of the river. The Vltava and most of the bridges spanning it.

Nearby, you can see the fresh greenery of tree crowns, the Mirror Labyrinth, the delightful Rose Garden and the Church of St. Lawrence. In the distance, the palaces of Lesser Town are visible (Schönbornsky embassies of the USA and Lobkovitsky - embassies of Germany). In autumn, when all the foliage falls, you can see the famous Trabant sculpture on unimaginably large human legs (built in honor of the German political refugees of the 80s) on the territory.

The Petřín 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 at the time when Emperor Rudolf II ruled (the 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 area of ​​Petrin Hill 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.

Petrin Hill or Petrin (Petrin) is located in the very center of Prague on the left bank of the Vltava River and is not only the highest hill of the Czech capital, but also one of the main attractions of Prague, which no tourist can ignore. So we did not pass by and looked at Petrin.

The main sights of the hill are its famous green gardens spread over a considerable distance and the Petrin Tower, which is a small copy of the Eiffel Tower. At the very top of the tower is an observation deck, which offers a beautiful panorama of almost the whole of Prague. That, perhaps, is all that we knew, following to Petrin Hill. But, as it turned out, this is not all, there are much more interesting places on the hill. We will talk about all this, and our walk along the hill, in this article.

There are several ways to get to Petrin Hill. From walking through the green gardens. Or from the Vltava River through Ujezd Street. It was more interesting for us to go across the river from the foot of the hill. Having chosen this path, we did not regret at all, we saw many interesting places.

At the foot of the hill, the first thing that greets you is monument to the victims of the communist regime(memorial to the victims of communism / Pomnik obetem komunismu), it is also called a monument to communism. The memorial is a series of statues descending from the steps, opened on May 22, 2002 in memory of the victims of communist rule between 1948 and 1989. The monument made an indelible impression on us, we stood and looked at it for a long time.

If you go a little to the right from the monument. That will be located here funicular, where you can climb to the very top of Petrin Hill to a magnificent garden and a tower with an observation deck. This funicular is another attraction of the city, although in our opinion it is some kind of dubious attraction. Well, agree, what to look at the funicular?

The funicular is paid, the cost is calculated from minutes, depending on how much time you want to spend on the hill. Tickets from 30 minutes to 3 days. The cost starts from 24 crowns. Although, here is a photo with all the prices:

We are lovers of walking and wandering on foot, so we went up the hill on foot. Plus it's free. The walk was quite short, about 30 minutes. They walked slowly, stopping and looking around. The paths and paths leading up the hill are quite comfortable.

Hello friends! I have long promised to tell you about the Petřín Lookout Tower in Prague. I have already described a walk in the gardens growing on the slopes of Petřín Hill, as well as sights on the top of the hill, in some detail. It's time to tell about the main object of Petrin - what kind of tower rises on a hill almost in the center of Prague, when and why it appeared there, and how to climb its observation deck.

The Petrin Tower cannot go unnoticed, despite the many architectural sights of Prague. And from the Charles Bridge, and from, and from, the openwork metal tower is perfectly visible:

As soon as the eye stops at this Petrin construction, many draw a parallel with the French Eiffel Tower. By themselves, questions arise, what kind of tower is this and whether it is possible to climb it. I will answer all these questions:

1. How the Petřín Tower appeared in Prague
2. How to get to Petřín Tower
3. Visiting the tower with an ascent to the observation deck

How the Petřín Tower appeared in Prague

The initiators of the construction of the Petrin Tower were ... tourists. Representatives of the Club of Czech Tourists proposed to build an observation tower for the Zemsky anniversary exhibition, which was planned in Prague in 1891. They liked Eiffel's idea to design a tower for the 1889 World's Fair in Paris. But, since Prague is located on a hilly area, they decided to make the tower smaller and install it on a hill.

The architectural design of the Petřín Tower was created by Vratislav Pasovsky. Engineers František Prashil and Julis Soucek became the direct executors of the project, which was implemented within six months. The Petřín Tower was constructed from March to August 1891, and on August 20 the tower was opened to the public.

175 tons of metal was required for such a structure:

The modern tower differs from the original design in that now its uppermost part is the antenna, and earlier the tower was completed by a crown with a flagpole. The antenna was installed in 1953 when the tower was used for television broadcasts.

The tower has two viewing platforms. The first covered gallery is at a height of 20 m and is suitable for wheelchairs. The second gallery is much smaller in area and is located at a height of 55 m. It can be reached either by stairs or by an elevator.

How to get to Petřín Tower

The fastest way to get to the top of Petřín Hill is to use the funicular. Where is the funicular station, and how it is organized with payment, I reported in. I will also add that a ticket can be purchased at the station ticket office, and its cost is the same as for one trip by other types of public transport in Prague - 24 crowns.

If you decide to go up the funicular, then you definitely need to get to the top of the hill. The funicular stops about half way, but it makes no sense to get off at the first stop. It's just that Petřín Gardens are equipped with playgrounds, and this stop is organized for the convenience of those who want to spend time on the playgrounds.

In my opinion, it is much more interesting, and even more useful, to climb Petřín Hill on foot. The paths there are comfortable, the views are excellent, and the climb is not fatiguing.

Although, if you enter from the side of the Strahov Monastery and Loretanskaya Street, you will have to stomp along the numerous steps:

So, you walk through the Petrin Gardens and gradually rise to the top of the hill. Soon you will reach the imposing wall, which is called Hungry (you will see it several times in the photos below).

You don't have to take the wall by storm, because it has an arch)) Just walk along the wall and you will see it. And behind the wall you will find wonderful rose gardens and sights of Petřín:

Take a walk along these alleys, keeping the observation tower in sight as a guide. So you will come to another arch in the wall, behind which the main object is waiting for you:

That's all - you got to the Petrin Tower, from which you will see the whole of Prague. Of course, it is best to plan your visit to the tower on a clear day.

Visiting the tower with an ascent to the observation deck

I have climbed the Petrin Tower in Prague twice. The first time it happened about ten years ago, and at that time the pedestrian lift was free, and only those who decided to use the elevator paid for the visit. But since then, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, and now a visit to the Petrin Tower is paid in any case.

Here are the ticket prices for 2015:

- ticket for an adult - 120 kroons,

- for children - 65 kroons.

Keep in mind that this is the cost of walking up the tower. You have to master 299 steps to find yourself in the upper gallery. I assure you, in doing so, you will get several advantages. The fact that it is useful to walk up the stairs is understandable. It is convenient to walk along the updated wooden steps of the tower, especially since there are separate stairs for climbing and descending visitors, as well as benches for rest.

And the main plus is that the body of the tower is not glazed, unlike the galleries. Therefore, you will take the best photos during the pedestrian conquest of the Petrin Tower.

But it will be a little later, and first of all, you need to enter a small room built into the base of the tower and purchase tickets:

The octagonal base of the tower covers an area of ​​20 m in diameter, so there was a place for the ticket office and a small museum on the basement floor.

Having received a ticket, we slowly rise, inspect all the sights of Petřín Hill and take pictures of everything our heart desires. Here, in all its glory, the towers of the Church of St. Lawrence appeared before my eyes, which was erected a few meters from the tower:

The sandstone wall, which stretches across the Petřín hill from the fortifications on Hradcany to the Vltava, was built under Charles IV in 1360-62, when the monarch significantly expanded. The wall, 6 meters high and 2 meters thick, was supposedly built for defensive purposes. But historians are more inclined to the version that strategic reasons were not significant for the construction of the fortress wall. Mala Strana was more reliably defended by Petrin Hill. The construction of the wall was started in order to occupy the many unemployed people who flooded into Prague. Workers received food for their work, and this construction saved many from starvation. For this reason, the fortress wall began to be called Hungry.

Now behind the Hungry Wall scientific and cultural objects of Petřín Hill are conveniently located. Not far from the tower, the domes of the Stefanik Observatory are visible. And along the same site our path to the tower ran:

Since the staircase winds around the Petřín Tower, each turn brings visitors a new view. And now the complex of the Strahov Monastery opens before your eyes:

Let's look from above and at the cheerful turrets of the mirror labyrinth, which is located right there, on Petrin Hill:

By the way, there are complex tickets for visiting the tower and the mirror maze. Pay attention to this offer. If you are interested in the kingdom of crooked mirrors, then visiting these two attractions will cost less.

I took all these pictures in the process of climbing the Petrin Tower. Once in the glazed gallery at the top, visitors are content with a single open window ... So the ascent and descent are much more beneficial for the view of Prague in all directions. And with cloudless weather, you will see the capital of the Czech Republic in all its glory.

And since I visited Petrin Hill in autumn, charming golden landscapes awaited me at the foot of the tower:

Friends, I think that those who, for some reason, believe that Prague is a small city, in which there are only a few ordinary residential areas outside the historical center, definitely need to look from the height of the Petrin Tower. And some believe that for Prague ends))

Rising to a height of about 400 m and looking around Prague, you will get an idea of ​​the scale of the Czech capital. Let me remind you where such a height came from. Firstly, the Petřín hill itself “grew” to 327 m, and secondly, as you already know, the observation deck rises 55 m above the ground.

You will see, from the height of the Petrin Tower, Prague will open up to you with another of its beautiful sides.

Your euro guide Tatiana

The initiative to create the Petřín Tower in Prague belongs to the Club of Czech Tourists. It consists of metal structures and weighs almost 175 tons. It was created by Czech designers Julius Soucek and Frantisek Prasil.

The construction of the tower took only five months, despite the fact that its original height reached 60 m. In 1953, another 20 m was added to the height of the Petřín Tower, since the first relay television station in the Czech Republic was installed on its top.

Specifications

• Height 65.5 meters
• The base is located at an altitude of 324 meters above sea level.
• Two observation platforms, the top one is at a height of 55 meters.

On the underground level of the tower there is a small museum of Jara Tsimrman, a famous literary character, and on the ground floor there is a small cafe and a souvenir shop.

Outwardly, the Petrin Tower is very similar to the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris. The observation deck, located at a height of 55 m, can be reached by elevator or on foot, using a staircase of 299 steps. Do not worry about the rise, slowly it will take no more than 10 minutes and will bring great pleasure. Equipped seating will allow you to make a little rest. The tower has two floors (tiers), on the first tier you can also take a break. Going down doesn't take much effort.

lookout tower

Opening hours

• October - March 10:00 - 20:00
• November - February 10:00 - 18:00
• April - September 10:00 - 22:00

Photos from the observation deck of the Petrin Tower

When preparing a trip to the Czech Republic, for some reason, it was Petrin Hill in Prague that most of all sunk into my memory. In my opinion, this is one of the best places to visit if you are visiting the Czech capital for the first time. Then you can already delve into some streets, museums, galleries and gardens, but Petrin Hill (this is its other name, and sometimes Petrin), along with Charles Bridge and Prague Castle, must be seen in the very first days. These sights will help you feel the spirit and atmosphere of this fabulous city much deeper.

And although I usually don’t like sights, in Prague you don’t feel that you just “ticked a box”, but on the contrary, you seem to be transported hundreds of years ago. The feeling that all the events from the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, Andersen and other authors familiar from childhood took place right here, in Prague. I did not expect myself to be so impressed by this wonderful city.

We decided to get to Petřín Hill by funicular, none of our family had a passion for walking up such a mountain =) But on the funicular it’s both interesting and free, because we had a city pass, the price of which already included the funicular ride (Tourists often forget or don't know about this). The entrance to the lift is located next to the monument to communism, or rather to the victims of the communist regime. Personally, he didn’t evoke any associations for me at all, although in principle I agree that the individual personality of a person is erased under such a regime.

The funicular turned out to be a small type of tram, slowly creeping up. At first, there is only greenery around, but the higher, the more interesting it is to look out the window =)

No sooner had we reached the top of Petřín Hill than the children rushed off to explore the area. Everywhere there are gardens, flower beds, benches, the most pleasant impression!

In the end, the researchers found a house-tree-tent)) Just like in fairy tales, the apple tree bowed its branches to cover Alyonushka, who was being chased by swan geese. It's really not an apple tree, but in my opinion it's still the coziest tree =)

We pass a little more and in front of us is the Stefanik Observatory. Milan Stefanik was a pilot and astronomer-scientist, man loved the sky =) Please note that behind the monument of this legendary man in the Czech Republic, there is a sundial (a wall with lines and triangles sticking out of it). Previously, ordinary residents of Prague found out the exact time in their city this way.

Many are surprised how this is so possible, but Mishuta and I have already been to the observatories of ancient astrologers in the East and saw the largest and most complex astronomical "instruments", some of which are as high as a multi-storey building. And we saw with our own eyes how this watch still works! So, the Prague sundial did not cause a drop of doubt in us, they work, believe me, to this day;)

Another building from those ancient times is the Hungry Wall, the battlements of which are partially visible in this photo.

I find it hard to believe, but it was built between 1360 and 1362, during the reign of Emperor Charles IV. I swear, I never thought that Prague is such an ancient city, and that it has preserved its heritage to this day. It is believed that the Hungry Wall was nicknamed because during its construction the labor of poor people was used, who were paid pennies for their work, but nevertheless this somehow gave them the opportunity to have a livelihood. Another name for the wall is Jagged, I think it’s clear where it came from;)

The temple in the frame above is called the Church of St. Lawrence or Vavrynets. According to legend, in this place the pagan peoples of the local lands worshiped Perun, the god of fire, in ancient times. In the end, the Christian monarchs decided to convert the common people to their faith by building a church on this site in the 10th century. Initially, it was wooden, but over the years it underwent more and more changes, acquiring in the 18th century the look that pleases the eye today.

Very close to the Church of St. Lawrence is the modern symbol of the city - the Petrin Tower in Prague. And I'm not exaggerating about the symbol, because magnets and various souvenirs with the image of this particular "Prague Eiffel Tower" all over the Czech Republic are just heaps :)

To be honest, she didn’t remind me of her French counterpart at all, and even standing next to her, I still couldn’t understand why they sell the symbol of France everywhere in Prague =) But in principle, if you look closely, there is undoubtedly something in common between them.

Climbing the steps to the Petřín Tower costs 120 CZK for an adult, 25 CZK for a child under 6 years old and 55 CZK for children from 6 to 15 years old, there are also complex family tickets. For travel by elevator, you need to pay another 60 crowns per person, which are added to the ticket.

We did not go up, because. it was quite expensive for our whole family of 4 people, but you still get to see the beautiful views of Prague from the hill, and you don’t need a tower for this at all;) We went straight along the road behind the tower itself, finding a descent from the mountain there.

First on the stairs, and then on a normal asphalt road.

I can’t even say that the views from here are worse)) They are incredibly beautiful, and the framing greenery around only adds color. From the tower, it would be somewhere down there, like moss, but here you seem to be part of this picture yourself.

The best part is that numerous benches are installed in the most convenient places for enjoying the spectacle. Sat down - admired, went on. And there is already something to admire ... St. Vitus Cathedral rests with its points against the sky.

Vlatva is visible in the distance with bridges thrown over its waters ...

We went downstairs, so we didn’t feel tired, and some, on the contrary, went up to the tower from the side of the Prague Castle, so when they climbed, places to rest really helped a lot. I preferred to sit on the grass and just enjoy the moment. Immediately I was surrounded by a crowd of schoolchildren, who also hurried to settle on the grass, though already in a lowland.

The tower is far behind. Petřín Hill in Prague is indeed the highest viewpoint of the city.

In the middle of the road, I turned left, instead of descending further to Prague Castle. As a result, I ended up at a beautiful cathedral.

As it turned out, this is the Strahov Monastery in Prague. And it was built already in 1140-1143. I just can’t get used to such dates, I was taught that the 10th century is the most ancient times of our history, when nomads ran around the world familiar to us, and several wooden fortresses stood. Therefore, it is always especially difficult for me to imagine that monasteries, palaces, temples already stood somewhere in those antediluvian times ... Walking through these inner squares and feeling their spirit was simply incredible!

Undoubtedly, the history of the Strahov Monastery is very rich, for such and such a time, and its name comes from the word “guard”, and this says a lot. The monastery occupied such a strategic place in ancient Prague that it was repeatedly destroyed. It acquired its modern Baroque appearance after an attack by the French army in 1742.

After leaving the opposite gate of the monastery, you can immediately take the tram. But despite the fact that by this time I was noticeably tired, I still decided to return and go further down the mountain to Prague Castle.

On the way, I was very surprised that there seemed to be an ancient cultural heritage right there, which in fact should be just a “museum”, but there were old, but well-kept houses nearby, in which ordinary people live! Among such and such beauty!! And such wooden benches stood at my grandmother's street =)

It was completely unexpected that these powerful doors with forged rings instead of handles suddenly open and the hostess comes out in some kind of home clothes to clap the rug)) without a soul, just for "seeing". But Prague in this regard immensely surprised and fascinated.

It seemed to me endlessly that a medieval lady was about to come out, rustling the hems of her dress. Well, I've never experienced anything like this before. It's like a fairy tale, a real fairy tale, and therefore, how can ordinary people live here? :)
Here, for example, is either the palace of the princess from the Bremen town musicians, or something from Alice in Wonderland)) But certainly not the housing of a modern person. But Prague is an incredible mix.

Each house is unique and unrepeatable!

You just have time to walk and turn your head :)

Beauty all around!

I went to a cafe in order to taste delicious ice cream and experienced the final and complete satisfaction from this walk =) After I got to the tram stop and went home, to our cozy apartment in Prague, which we rented directly from the hostess on Airbnb.ru. The day went well! ;)

If you want to visit Petrin Hill in Prague, then below I will tell you how to get to it. You can get to it by trams No. 6, 9, 12, 20, 22; 57, 58, 59. The stop is called Ujezd.

Directly opposite it, you will see the very monument to the victims of communism. If you stand facing him, you must go to the right along the road. Somewhere in 200 m you will literally hit the lift. For trips around Prague, be sure to purchase a single travel card, using it and lifting the funicular will be free. It is necessary to present it at the top, just carefully look at the date and time of the end, the Czechs are strict about this.