13 best viewpoints in Prague
Viewpoints in Prague will allow you to see the city from an unexpected angle. Viewpoints of the capital of the Czech Republic are located in the historical center. Often these are fortress towers or bell towers of cathedrals, which are a cultural heritage. And the study of these sights immerses tourists in the atmosphere of the Middle Ages. Almost always climbing to the very top is not an easy task. But the views from there are amazing: this is the Vltava River, the historical center, and new buildings. All roofs, spiers, turrets, parks and squares, seen from a bird's eye view, fascinate forever.
Prague Castle
If you want to see the city from a bird's eye view and at the same time from an observation point located in the historical center, there is no better place to find Prague Castle. This fortress was founded in the 9th century. The most convenient place was chosen for it: a part of a cliff stretching from Petřín Hill to the east. The first walls were made of earth, wood was used for the frame, cobblestones were laid on top; only in the 11th century the construction was replaced with stone ones.
The garrison of the fortress easily controlled all the fords of the Vltava River and land approaches to the fortification. It is no coincidence that the kings chose Prague Castle for their permanent residence. An exception was made in the 18th century: the residence was moved to Vienna. But the fortress was not forgotten either: it was reconstructed, after which the buildings acquired a single style. Today Prague Castle is one of the best sightseeing spots. From this point, a great panorama of the whole city opens up.
Views of the capital of the Czech Republic open already from the stairs:
- Mala is a country where vineyards are planted. It is rather a tribute to tradition: Charles 4 founded the first wineries in the country.
- Wonderful turrets and spiers are the hallmarks of Prague.
- River Vltava from the embankment.
Unfortunately, inside a well-fortified and fenced area there is no convenient viewing platform: the walls block the view. But if you want to see more, you should climb to the site of St. Vitus Cathedral.
Book a private transfer from the airport to your hotel for 2 014 RUB
Tower of St. Vitus Cathedral
Today the cathedral is the residence of the Prague Archbishop. Construction of the building began in 1344 and lasted (without interruption) for 600 years. This is the most impressive long-term construction in history. The result was impressive: times have changed, fashion too.
The architecture of the cathedral combines:
Tourists note that it is impossible to get used to the view of the cathedral: each time new features are revealed. The building has not only historical and cultural value: the height of the tower is almost 100 m, in order to climb the gallery, you will need to overcome 300 steep steps. The stairs are spiral, there are no rest areas. Due to the small width of the opening, it is quite difficult to diverge from the oncoming flow of tourists. But you can stand in narrow niches (although there are not many of them). But the opened panorama and the absence of a large number of tourists are impressive and atone for all the difficulties of the ascent.
Worth the effort to admire the marvelous views:
Near the railing there are maps of the city indicating the sights that can be seen from this point: this is convenient for guests who do not know the capital of the Czech Republic well.
Old Town Bridge Tower
This structure blocked the entrance to the Charles Bridge: the royal road was perfectly visible from it. The tower was built at the end of the 14th century. And Charles 4, the customer, did everything to perpetuate his own reign. The facade is decorated with:
The ensemble is completed by Saints Sigmund and Vojtech: they watch people passing by from above. On the other side of the tower, the architect depicted statues of Charles 4, his wife Elishka, the Virgin Mary. But during the Swedish war they were destroyed. The tower performed not only a defensive function: at the bottom there was a room for the rest of the guard, and the second floor was intended for the maintenance of rich and noble prisoners.
It was not without intimidation. In the 17th century, the townspeople and those entering the capital were met by a terrible garland: after the suppression of the uprising against the Habsburg dynasty, the heads of executed traitors adorned the tower for 10 years. Today the tower has lost its military significance: it is a monument of culture and architecture. At a height of 40 m, there is an observation deck, which tourists tend to climb. There are 138 steps leading up. This is the most accessible point of view of the city from a bird's eye view.
Visegrad
Not so long ago it was believed that it was Vysehrad that was the ancestor of Prague. But excavations have shown that the capital of the Czech Republic began with the Prague Castle. Vysehrad Fortress is located on the rocky steep bank of the Vltava. It was an excellent fortification, where a small garrison could hold back the enemy army. The first princes of the Czech Republic lived here, from the walls of Vysehrad young Libuse predicted the greatness of the future city. For 70 years it was the residence of kings. She was brought here by Vratislav 1 after a quarrel with his brother Jaromir.
Today there are expositions in the fortress. And the unique location of Visegrad allows you to enjoy the beauties of the capital of the Czech Republic from different angles:
- From the hill above the Vltava, there is an excellent panorama of the Imperial Meadow, the river with bridges and Prague Castle.
- From the opposite side of the park you can admire the Old and New places.
And the weather during the inspection plays a secondary role: on a clear and sunny day you can see far away, and on a cloudy and rainy one, the panorama becomes scary and a little mystical. You can admire the view of the surroundings completely free of charge.
Strahov Monastery
The Strahov Monastery was built in the place where the city guard was located. The first building was erected in 1140. Over time, it became a rich institution: fields, orchards and vineyards stretched around. There were more barns and wineries in the monastery than temples and premises for Premonstratensian monks. All buildings had 2-3 floors (at the same time, the houses of wealthy citizens were one-story). The monastery has an extensive library, and since the 8th century, church hierarchs have been collecting a collection of paintings.
Subsequently, the library became public, and an art gallery was opened for the townspeople. The Strahov Monastery returned to believers after the fall of Bolshevik power. But it still has expositions that were located at the time when it was closed. And near the walls of the monument of history and culture, the architect Cuza in 1995 designed a convenient place for viewing the capital of the Czech Republic. The territory is tiled, fenced with a parapet. The hedgerow adds to the charm of the place.
And you can see it from here:
Under the viewing platform there is an alley, walking along which tourists see an old monastery garden, vineyards. 4 terraces are planted with this beauty.
Petrin Tower
This tower is located on Petřín Hill, which goes around the Vltava River, so it offers an amazing panorama. The hill itself is the highest point of the Czech capital. But in order to climb the tower itself, you will first have to conquer Petřín Hill. This is also interesting: you can go the whole distance on foot, admiring the gradually opening views of the city, or drive to the top on the funicular to the top point.
This tower is the main attraction of Petřín Hill. It is located at the very top, in the middle of a well-groomed garden. The area itself is very clean and smart: the lawns are trimmed, flower beds are laid out, and there are benches for tired tourists to rest. As conceived by the architects, it copies the outlines of the Eiffel, but only in a ratio of 1:5. And due to the fact that the building is located at the highest point in Prague, it turns out to be as much as 17 m higher.
2 places are allocated for the review: one in the middle, the second – at the very top, at an altitude of 55 m. Tourists are invited to appreciate the beauty of the views as they ascend. The tower is made of metal, its mass is more than 175 tons, and its height is more than 60 m. There are 2 ways to climb it: by elevator (for an additional fee) or on foot (almost 300 steps). But these are not worn-out stone steps of spiral staircases, but quite comfortable wooden ones. For the convenience of climbing, a railing is attached to the side. The difficulties of the ascent redeem themselves completely. Everything is visible:
And the lower floor of the building offers to buy souvenirs in a local shop and relax in a cozy cafe. If you go down to the basement, you can get acquainted with the exposition dedicated to Yar Tsimrman.
Zizkov TV tower
She is called monstrous, but is considered the most fashionable. They say that it combines the features of a spaceship and a Kalashnikov assault rifle. They argue whether to keep it or destroy it. But while the court and the case, the Zizkovskaya Tower is the most visited point for viewing the capital of the Czech Republic from a bird's eye view. The author of the TV tower project is Vaclav Aulicki.
In order to realize his idea, the old Jewish cemetery had to be demolished. And in 2000 it turned out that the structure needed to be balanced. Therefore, the sculptor David Cherny sculpted 10 babies and placed them on the structure. Whether the appearance of 700-kilogram babies crawling on the structure added charm to the tower is an open question. But Praguers fell in love with black two-meter kids and show them to tourists.
There are no buildings in the capital higher than the Zizkovskaya TV Tower, therefore, from all 3 sites, the city opens up in full view. In order to go up to the desired floor, it is recommended to use the elevator. The rise will take 20 seconds. But for tourists who want to test their strength, there is a staircase.
And the site itself is the height of comfort and care for guests:
But that's not all. The fourth floor attracts visitors with thematic exhibitions. And hungry guests can eat at the bar or restaurant. True, the prices here are cosmic. If you have a desire to stay for a long time, you should rent a hotel room, which is located here, on the tower. From this point you can see Prague throughout your vacation.
Tower of the Old Town Hall
This is also a former guard building. But now it is a monument of culture and architecture. The observation point is located at a height of 56 m from the ground. To see the golden city from a bird's eye view, you will have to walk along the inclined ancient slabs. Few people will like such an ascent, so many tourists use a high-speed elevator.
After you get tired of admiring the beauties of the capital of the Czech Republic, you can go down and see an unusual action. The tower of the Old Town Hall is decorated with a unique clock. They show the date, time, the position of the zodiac constellations, the time of sunset and moonrise. Here every hour a performance awaits guests: the Prague chimes strike the time. And before that, funny figures on the clock are playing a performance.
powder tower
At the end of the 15th century, the construction of the Powder Tower (or gate) began. The goal is simple: control of entry into the capital of the Czech Republic. But after 10 years, the king moved the residence to Prague Castle, so they did not finish building the building. The structure was planned to be demolished, but after a slight refinement (an external staircase of 186 steps was added and a roof was built) they began to be used as a powder warehouse. This staircase is still in use today.
During the war with Prussia in the 18th century, the building was partially destroyed and looted. But in the 19th century, reconstruction began. The architect decided to compositionally combine the Powder Tower and the tower of Charles Bridge. Josef Motzker tried to preserve the historical appearance of the building, but due to the addition of new details, the pseudo-Gothic style turned into neo-Gothic. Today, the Powder Tower is an excellent landmark for tourists.
It is built of dark sandstone (a high proportion of iron affects) and is decorated with sculptures of the Prague kings. Reflected in the design and Christian themes. You can enter the building and inspect the 1st floor for free. But to go higher, you have to buy a ticket. On the second floor there is a viewing area. To climb here, you must overcome all the same 186 steps. From a height of 44 m, the city opens up in all its glory.
Jindris Tower
In the 15th century, the inhabitants of the suburb needed a church with a parish school. This temple was the cathedral, consecrated by the saints Jindrich and Kuguta.
The church bell tower stood separately. Over the centuries, it was rebuilt several times:
- It was originally made in the Gothic style. The most accessible material was used: local sandstone. The wooden roof was blown away by a hurricane in 1801.
- In the 16th century, the bell tower was supplemented with a mechanical clock, figures were embossed on them.
- In the 17th century, during the war with the Swedes, the bell tower was a well-fortified fort. The walls of the building were partially destroyed.
- In the 18th century, the authorities decided to reconstruct the bell tower in the Baroque style.
- At the end of the 19th century, the building was restored to its historical appearance. The new roof was designed by Moker; it organically complemented the building. The clock has also been redesigned.
Today, the bell tower of the Church of Saints Jindrich and Kuguta has the height of a 10-storey building. On the top floor there is an excellent platform for viewing the city from a bird's eye view. But tourists are invited not only to explore Prague, but also to listen to a concert of bells. 10 discordant objects are installed here. You can also go up to the place of inspection on a high-speed elevator in a few tens of seconds. And the most interesting thing is to overcome the staircase of 200 steps: it passes through the interior, the interiors of which have been restored to the maximum.
Admiring the city from this place will appeal to those who prefer to combine art with a completely material matter: lunch or dinner. After all, today the Ganava Pavilion is a trendy restaurant. The history of the building began in 1891. The owner of the metallurgical plant ordered a pavilion for the industrial exhibition in Hanava. The building was designed by Giesser. Its goal was to attract visitors with an unusual architectural solution.
The pavilion was decorated with openwork forged details. And in the hall, a cast iron column was installed, around which samples of products from the Gohau plant were located. Part of the hall was given to the exposition of products of students of the factory school. But the exhibition passed, the need for a pavilion disappeared. Willem Gochau presented the building to the city. The pavilion was dismantled and transported to the Letensky Gardens. Initially, it was used by Praguers walking in the park, fleeing the rain.
But later the city administration decided to open a restaurant in the pavilion. Unfortunately the building is dilapidated. In the 70s of the last century, a large-scale reconstruction was required. During the work, the architects tried to restore the historical appearance of the building. And today the Ganava Pavilion welcomes tourists again. It offers dishes not only of national cuisine, but also European, Mediterranean and Oriental. And sitting on the open veranda, you can watch Prague spread out at the foot of the hill.
Tower of Saint Nicholas Cathedral
Although in guidebooks the building is called the Tower of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, but it belongs to Prague. And it was built as a guardhouse. And the bell, hanging at the very top, warned the people of Prague about the attack of enemies. The place for the construction was chosen well: the entire Lesser Country was visible from the loopholes. A solid structure with a height of about 70 m made it possible not only to signal danger to the townspeople, but also to repel enemy attacks for some time.
The fire that happened at the beginning of the 20th century seriously damaged the bells: only one remained. It is called Mikulas (named after the saint in whose honor the cathedral was consecrated). Today it is a favorite place for tourists: at a height of 65 m, a platform is arranged, from the height of which a charming Malaya Strana opens. And the fact that the tower was once a signal tower is reminiscent of the exposition of ancient musical instruments. You can get acquainted with it before climbing to the very top. By the way, to get to the goal, you will have to overcome 200 steps of a steep and narrow spiral staircase: there is no elevator in the room.
Restaurant “Terrace at the Prince”
A very unusual and romantic point of view of the city. It is located on the roof of the family hotel U Prince. The building was built in the 12th century, now completely reconstructed. The owners have equipped a rooftop restaurant with a viewing platform to attract tourists.
To get to the top, you need:
Some tourists believe that the panorama from the drinks area is better (you can see the cathedral, the entire square and the town hall). But this is a matter of taste. Dishes are offered national and European. From drinks excellent beer, good wine. It is recommended to book a table in advance: in the high season there are many guests. You can enjoy the views of Prague until 11 pm: then the institution closes.