Petřín Hill

If during your holiday in Prague you need a refuge from the traffic and noise of the city, climb Petrín Hill (in Czech Petrínské sady), west of the Lesser Quarter.

More than 300 m above sea level, this hill is the largest green area in Prague and offers countless opportunities for pleasant walks.

It can be reached on foot from the Strahov Monastery, but if you don’t find the idea of walking uphill appealing, you can take the convenient funicular railway. Both solutions will allow you to enjoy romantic glimpses and breathtaking views of the city.

Things to do in Petrín

The best thing to do in Petrín is, of course, to walk while observing the wonderful panorama. To indulge in this pleasure, you can climb even higher, to the top of the Petrín Observation Tower, one of Prague’s most popular vantage points for tourists.

This 1:25 scale copy of the Eiffel Tower was built for the 1891 Jubilee Exhibition. Its top is at the same height above sea level as the original Eiffel Tower in Paris, but to get to the top there are no lifts: you have to climb almost three hundred steps (299 to be exact!).

You get another view from the Štefaník Observatory, opened in 1928 to promote knowledge of astronomical sciences among all social classes. Several telescopes are available to visitors with which you can admire not only Prague, but also the universe!

The Memorial to the Victims of Communism is a shocking bronze sculptural group that will not leave you indifferent. Statues of human bodies in different stages of disintegration and a plaque recall the devastating social impact of the Communist era in the Czech Republic. Come and read the impressive figures of people arrested, sent into exile, executed, died in prison or killed while attempting to escape to other countries: in total more than 380,000.

After such a poignant sight, relax at the Mirror Maze, having fun like children, or with your children, making tongues at the mirrors and seeing your own deformed body. Will you be able to find your way out before you die of laughter?

Walk through the peaceful Kinský Gardens to find St Michael’s Church, a wooden building with a curious history: it was in fact transported piece by piece from the village of Medvedov in Ukraine. Near the church you can visit the Musaion, a summer residence that now houses an ethnographic museum on rural daily life in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Tickets for the Petrín viewing tower

With a single ticket you can visit both the Petrín observation tower and the Labyrinth of Mirrors. After a couple of days dedicated to sightseeing, you can’t help but enjoy dedicating a couple of hours to these attractions!

Petrín Hill Funicular

The Petrín funicular railway was opened in 1891. It departs from Újezd and arrives at the observation tower in Petrín, along a 510m route. It makes an intermediate stop at Nebozízek, which is convenient if you want to walk part of the way.

There are rides every 10-15 minutes. Metro or tram tickets are valid; Prague Visitor Pass holders can use it free of charge for unlimited use.