Jul 16 2008
Prague Towers
Prague is truly a city of awesome and unique beauty. It has incredible buildings, monuments and structures that span several eras. And what is a city without towers! There are many towers in Prague – ancient and modern, and they are open to the public to climb, for fantastic views over the city. Modern towers have elevators, but some ancient may not have it and you have to climb by food.
The tallest structure in Prague is TV tower. Its construction was finished in 1992 and has height of 216 m (709 ft). In 2001 proportionally small black figures of babies “Miminka” in Czech language who seem to be crawling up the poles of the tower, were added by the artist David Cerny.
There are 3 observation cabins in TV tower at the height of 93 meters and on a clear day with good visibility, you can see up to 100 kilometers away. The elevators travel about 4 meters per second so you will reach it very fast. A little bit lower, 66 meters above the level of Prague there is restaurant offering both Czech and world cuisines and of course panoramic view of Prague. This tower is open for you from 10 a.m. till 23.30 daily.
Petrin Hill is dominating Prague from the height and there is 60 meters Petrinska rozhledna (resemble Eiffel Tower) that is 318m above see level. It was built in 1891 and if you climb the 299 steps to the viewing platform on a clear day you will see great view of the Prague Cityscape and 150 km away to Snezka, the highest peak in The Czech Republic. You can get there easy by funicular from Ujezd and entrance fee is 50 CZK.
The Old Town Hall is situated on the southwest corner of the Old Town Square, is a fusion of buildings with the most interesting feature of the building - the astronomical clock Orloj that was incorporated into the structure in 1490. Every hour, a small trap door opens and Christ followed by the twelve Apostles marches out. Below the Astronomical Clock you can see 12 medallions with the signs of the zodiac.
The Old Town Bridge tower is situated at the Old town end of Charles Bridge, it is the most beautiful gate of the Gothic Europe and masterpiece of famous Peter Parle finished before 1380. This 64 meters tall tower is decorated on both the east and west façade. Climb the 138 stairs inside the tower and reach an observation room from where you have great views of Old Town and the Charles Bridge. There is also permanent exhibition of the picture about the astrological and astronomic relations of the origins of Charles Bridge. It is open daily Nov-Feb 10am-5pm, Mar 10am-6pm, Apr, May, Oct 10am-7pm daily, June-Sept 10am-10pm. Admission fee is 50 Kč.
On the Lesser Town (Mala Strana) end of the Charles Bridge (Karluv Most) there are two towers connected by a gate. The smaller tower Judith Tower of Romanesque style was constructed in 1158. The higher one none as Lesser Town Bridge Tower was built in 1464) and its late gothic architecture draws, a representative of the Gothic period and the work of Peter Parler. It is open for tourists for visiting and enjoying splendid view over Prague and the Charles Bridge from its higher balcony. It’s open daily November – February 10.00-17.00, March 10.00-18.00, April 10.00-19.00, May – September 10.00-22.00, October 10.00-19.00. Entrance fee is 50 CZK.
Clementinum is situated in the heart of the Old Town and it’s the 2nd largest complex of buildings after Prague Castle that covers a 20 000 square meters. This complex includes Astronomical Tower, Mirror Chapel and Baroque Library hall. Klementinum Astronomical tower was built in 1722 and is 52 meters high. You have to climb the 172 steep stairs by food and then you will be rewarded with 360° views over Prague. At the cupola of the Klementinum Astronomical Tower is a large lead statue of Atlant holding a globe. It’s open from 10.00 till 16.00 (or 18.00 and 20.00 depending on month) and entrance fee is 190 CZK.
The Powder Tower is the gateway to the Royal Route and one of the 13 original fortified gates to the Old Town. It is 65m tall and its history goes back to 11 century however present Powder Gate was build in 1475 during the reign of King Vladislav II. First it had name of New Tower, but in the 17th century it was used to store gunpowder and it got name Powder Tower. You can climb the 186 steps inside the tower and reach the viewing platform at 44 meters, to enjoy views over the Old Town.
St. Vitus Cathedral is considered the largest and most important church in Prague. The southern lookout of St. Vitus Cathedral is tower of 97 meters high with a Renaissance gallery 56 meters above the ground. The tower is also called “the Big Bell Tower“as there is the biggest Prague bell Sigismund of 18 tons weight. Tourists can admire not only the interior, but also climb the tower for free.
Jindrisska Tower (Jindrisská vez) is 67.7 meters high, which makes it the highest separate belfry in Prague. It was built in 1472–1476, but later there were several reconstructions. Nowadays inside Jindrisska Tower belfry there are 3 bells weight 3,350 kg, 1.000kg and 500kg. Also you can see inside the tower a café, museum, a teddy bear shop and a restaurant that built in 2003 and offers a unique dining experience. You can get to Jindrisska Tower by tram 3, 9, 14 or 24 to Jindřišská tram station. It is open from Monday to Friday 9.00 - 18.00 and Saturday-Sunday 10.00 - 18.00. Entrance fee is 75 CZK for adults.