Petrín hill is located in the center of Prague, raising some 130m above the left bank of the Vltava River.
The hill is almost entirely covered with parks and many interesting sights making it a favourite recreational area for both locals and tourists.
The summit of the hill is linked to Prague's Malá Strana district by the Petrín funicular, on Újezd street, a funicular railway that first operated in 1891, and rebuilt in 1985. You can also walk, but it will take around 30 minutes of hard work!
Attractions, besides the lush forests, park and gardens, include...
Petrin Observation Lookout Tower (Petrínská rozhledna) built in 1891, is an tower that looks like Paris's Eiffel Tower. It has good view of the Prague skyline. It is open from 10am to 6/7/10pm from April to October, and Dec and only at weekends from November, Feb, March, from 10am to 6pm. (Fee: 100 Czech Crowns). There is a gift shop and a small cafeteria and a small museum of Jára Cimrman.
Mirror Maze (Zrcadlové bludište) - walls lined with distorting mirrors. At the exit is a diorama showing the memorable scene from the end of the Thirty Years War, when Prague fought against the Swedes. It is open from 10am to 6/7/10pm from April to October, and Dec and only at weekends from November, Feb, March, from 10am to 6pm. (Fee: 70 Czech Crowns).
Church of St. Lawrence (Kostel sv. Vavrince) - a single-aisle 18th century baroque church.
Hunger Wall (Hladová zed) is a medieval defence wall built during 1360 - 1362 by order of Charles IV. The adjective Hladová (hunger) appeared after a 1361 famine, when the construction of the wall provided livelihood for the city's poor.
Štefánik´s Observatory (Štefánikova hvezdárna) is locatad near Hunger Wall. The observatory was opened on June 24th, 1928. In the middle of the 70s, a full-scale reconstruction gave the building its current appearance and it was reopened for the public in 1976. The observatory has three domes and one observation lodge. You can visit the observatory Tues - Fri 6pm - 8pm (longer in summer) and Sat & Sun 10am - 12 Noon & 2pm - 6pm (longer in summer). Fee 60 Czech Crown.
A little off the beaten track is the Church of St Michael, a wooden church transferred from Subcarpathian Ruthenia in 1920s.
Located at the base of Petrín hill at Újezd street/Vitezna is The Memorial to the victims of Communism (Pomník obetem komunismu) - a series of statues erected in 2002, commemorating the victims of the Communist era between 1948-1989.
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