PETRIN LOOKOUT TOWER

Description

Essentials about the Petřín Lookout Tower in brief

No, this tower is not in Paris but in Prague. The Petřín observation tower is indeed a deliberate imitation of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and admittedly bears a striking resemblance to its world-famous role model. But simply because of its significantly smaller dimensions, the Petřín Lookout Tower cannot compete with the Eiffel Tower. Nevertheless, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Prague from the top of the tower.

The history of the Petřín Lookout Tower

Historically, the Petřín Lookout Tower dates back to 1889 (how could it be otherwise), when the Eiffel Tower, a symbol of the Paris World’s Fair, attracted thousands and thousands of visitors from all over the world. The 350 or so members of a club of Czech tourists were so taken with the sight of the new Parisian landmark that they decided to create a similar landmark in their capital, Prague. They founded a cooperative for the construction of the observation tower, started financing it and obtained the land for their project from the city of Prague.

The 327-meter-high Laurenzi Hill (cz. “Petřín”) was chosen as the site for the observation tower. By 1890, the necessary funds for the construction of the tower were secured. Construction finally began in March 1891 according to designs by architect Vratislav Pasovský and engineers František and Julius Souček. Within a record construction time of less than half a year, the tower was completed. The ceremonial opening of the Petřín Lookout Tower took place on August 20, 1891.

The architecture of the Petřín Lookout Tower

With a height of 63.5 meters, the tower is about five times smaller than its large role model in Paris. However, the Petřín Lookout Tower also differs from the Eiffel Tower in some architectural details. For example, unlike the tower in Paris, it has an octagonal cross-section rather than a square one, and it does not stand on four steel truss columns like its Parisian model. The space between the foundations is completely filled by the entrance hall. A common feature with the Eiffel Tower, however, is the design of the lowest cross connections as round arches.

Visiting the Petřín Lookout Tower

The tower can be reached on foot via a 45-minute climb through the park or in a roughly ten-minute ride on the Petřín funicular. To reach the top of the two viewing platforms, 299 steps must be climbed on a double helix-shaped spiral staircase. Those who can’t or don’t want to can also take the elevator to the top. From the top observation deck, visitors can enjoy a magnificent view of the city of Prague.