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Towering above Prague

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Prague is often referred to as the ‘city of a hundred (or thousand) spires”. We haven’t counted but there’s definitely quite a few.

One of the best ways to get a bird’s eye view is to go up one of the city’s many publicly accessible towers. Here’s our pick of three of them.

Old Town Hall Tower – Old Town Square

Old Town Square is often full of tourists, gathering in a large crowd for the hourly cuckoo-show from the Astronomical Clock. What is surprising is just how few people take the time to go up the tower.

Entry is 250Kc, there are two lifts that will take you most of the way up, from there you can choose to take a rampway, then a staircase that spirals around the inside of the tower, or another smaller lift.

The view, once you are at the top, is superb. You can look down on the crowds in the Square, or across the rooftops of Old Town and beyond, to the outskirts of the city. Because you’re right in the center of the city, you’re surrounded by Prague’s sights. These are helpfully picked out for you on signs around the parapet.

Petrin Lookout Tower

Situated atop Petrin Hill in Mala Strana, this tower is referred to as a ‘bad scale model’ of the Eiffel Tower. It was built in 1891. There is a lift for disabled access but everyone else will have to take the stairs. Beware, the lift is sometimes out of order, so if mobility is an issue, check ahead of your visit. When you reach the top you will be rewarded with superb views of Prague Castle and its surroundings as well as Old Town and Nove Mesto on the other side of the river. Again, entry is 150Kc. One of the most interesting ways to reach the tower is by taking the funicular railway up the hill from Ujzed to Petrin.

TV Tower – Zizkov

The TV Tower, built between 1985 and 1992 is the rocket-shaped thing you may have noticed on the skyline. It is rumored its original purpose was to block television signals from the West, although it wasn’t completed till after the Velvet Revolution. Many think it ugly, I’m of the opinion that it’s so ugly it’s beautiful. The massive plastic crawling babies that adorn the outside of the tower (a temporary exhibition of the work of Czech artist and ‘enfant terrible’ David Cerny that became permanent when local residents campaigned to keep them) definitely soften its lines.

On a clear day you can see up to 100km away. Because of its location most of the interesting sights are on one side of the tower. As it is situated on a hill the view feels very much ‘from above’ as you tower above the apartment blocks. To get an idea of the view for yourself take a look at this impressive high resolution 360 degree panorama.

There is a restaurant on the level below the viewing cabins, in fact there are three sections to the ‘food and beverage’ floor. The restaurant has the best views of the center of the city, the cafe/bistro section is good for views over Vinohrady and to the south, while the bar section (where people spend the least) looks out to the east, over the outer reaches of Zizkov and beyond.

Entry is 250Kc. The tower is reached relatively easily from Jiriho z Podebrad metro station

Planning a trip to Prague? We’d love to put together a Prague travel package just for you. Get in touch to find out more!

110 00 Prague-Prague 1, Czech Republic

Mahlerovy sady 1, 130 00 Prague 3, Czech Republic

118 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic

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