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Petřín Hill
Lesser Town, Prague 1
 The
Petřín hill (formerly one of King Charles' vineyards) offers
beautiful views of Prague and several attractions for adults
and children alike. The hill is easily recognizable by
the TV tower that is a miniature of the Eiffel Tower in
Paris. You can climb the tower for views and enjoy some
other activities while up at Petřín.
To get to the top of
the hill, you can either walk to get some exercise (it's
a bit of a steep hike along a wooded path), or take the
funicular. If you walk, you can stop by the statue of Karel
Hynek Mácha, the great Czech romantic poet and author
of the love poem Máj (May). The statue is now
a meeting place of lovers on May 1st, the unofficial "day
of love" in the Czech Republic.
The funicular that
goes to the top of Petřín starts on Újezd street (you
can get there
by tram 6, 9, 12, 20, 22, or 23 and get off at Újezd).
The funicular operates daily from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
(April - October) or 9 a.m. to 10:20 p.m. (November -
March) and runs every 10 to 15 minutes. You will need
a public
transportation ticket, which you can buy right there
if needed. Get off at the very top (it's the second stop
- the first
one
is
halfway up the hill).
You
can climb the Petřín tower for beautiful views of Prague.
Don't be mislead by its perceived height - it only takes
four
minutes to climb the stairs to the observation point.
The
mirror maze (bludiště)
can be a fun diversion for kids and adults alike thanks
to the hall with distorting
mirrors.
Pony
and horseback rides are sometimes available for small children on
Petřín,
while
the observatory can be of interest to older kids and, of
course, adults.
Don't
forget to stroll through the beautiful, fragrant rose
garden - a real treat!
When you're
done visiting the Petřín area, you
can take the funicular back, but
it
is nicer and more interesting
to follow one of the trails that lead to the Prague Castle
or the Strahov Monastery (flat or downhill).
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Getting there on the funicular