Petrin Tower

Perhaps the most famous lookout tower in the Czech Republic, Petřín, is located in Prague on Petřín Hill. It is located at an altitude of 324 meters and its total height is 60 meters, with an antenna then 72 meters. The viewing platform is located at a height of 51 meters.

After climbing 299 steps, you will have a wonderful view of the entire capital, the Ore Mountains, Ještěd, Brdy and the Czech Central Mountains.

The easiest access to the lookout tower is from Strahovská Street, Vlašská Street from the direction of Malá Strana and from Újezd ​​uphill through the Petrin Park either on foot or by cable car.

The opening hours of the lookout tower depend on the season. In March and October it is open daily from 10 am to 8 pm. From November to February you can get here daily from 10 am to 6 pm. From April to September it is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Admission for an adult costs 100 CZK.

The history of the iron lookout tower dates back to 1889, when the World's Fair was held in Paris. The Czech Tourists Club also took part in it, which was so excited about the Eiffel Tower that they decided to build an imitation of it in Prague as well. On their initiative, a cooperative for the construction of a lookout tower was established, in which they were the first to invest funds and were then granted land on Petřín by the City of Prague.

The Petrin lookout tower is five times smaller than the Eiffel Tower and its construction was accelerated thanks to the holding of the Provincial Jubilee Exhibition in Prague in 1891. Project documentation for its construction was approved in February 1891 and construction began in March. The grand opening took place on August 20, 1891. Ing. František Prášil and Ing. Julius Souček.

The Petřín lookout tower consists of an octagonal steel lattice structure. The anchorage for the eight arms consists of massive stone blocks. The diagonal of the octagon is 20 meters long. A total of 175 tons of iron was used for the construction. The observation cabin is located at a height of 51 meters and 299 steps lead to it. On the first floor, at a height of 20 meters above the ground, there is a gallery with a viewing terrace.

The lookout tower underwent frequent repairs due to various defects and disasters. During World War II, Hitler proposed demolishing the lookout tower. However, she survived unscathed.

In 1953, a television transmitter was placed on top of the Petřín lookout tower, later also an antenna extension, which increased its height by 12 meters. At that time, the elevator was canceled, due to the routing of cables through the lookout tower. The year 1980 meant the closure of the lookout tower due to the emergency condition of the tube and the staircase.

In 1991, the General Czechoslovak Exhibition was held, on the occasion of which the lookout tower was reopened to the public, which lasted until 1999. At the same time, television transmitters were transported to Žižkov, so Petřín's importance in this sense declined.

The lookout tower underwent a major reconstruction in 1999, mostly during operation and without the need to make the lookout tower inaccessible to tourists. During the reconstruction, two new staircases were created from quality wood and with a non-slip surface. An elevator for the disabled and the elderly has been set up in the newly installed tube. The former boarded balcony was replaced by an elegant gallery with binoculars, which is also accessible to disabled people.

The basement is left open so that the pillars on which the whole building stands can be seen freely. The ground floor is dedicated to the entrance hall, buffet and exhibition of the Czech Tourists Club.

Author: Andrea Štyndlová