Prague from above

The Towers of Prague The descriptive names of "Golden Prague" and "City of a Hundred Spires" provide a hint of the nature of this metropolis, where the eyes of visitors and tourists alike are drawn upwards to the towers of the city's many cathedrals, churches, and gateways. However, there is another way to experience Prague's unique beauty and the soul of the city – to look down from these towers and admire the unusual bird's-eye view of the historical squares, red tiled roofs, and the Vltava River with its many bridges and long waterfront. It is possible to count the total number of towers in Prague only from a great height. Recently a few enthusiastic experts and Prague aficionados tried to do exactly this – from an aerial view they counted 120 important towers just in the central part of the city, which they also photographed, documented in detail and measured. The total number of towers in all of Prague, not counting the turrets found on some burgher houses and villas, has been estimated at about a thousand. The most valuable and beautiful towers have been made accessible to the public. Choose from our list or, better still, extend your stay in Prague and explore them all, as each offers a different – but always unforgettable – view of the most impressive parts of the city. The Old Town Bridge Tower is the gateway to the famous Charles Bridge from the east side of the Vltava. Completed before 1380 as part of the fortifications of the Charles Bridge, this might be the most beautiful Gothic gate in Europe and the most impressive example of Gothic civil engineering style in the world. This gem of Gothic architecture took almost a quarter of a century to build and required the labor of one hundred stonemasons. A spiral staircase with 136 stairs leads from the gateway entrance up to the tower. The view from the tower, taking in the Castle District, the famous gallery of statues lining the Charles Bridge and the adjacent part of Old Town, is unforgettable. The tower located next to the well-known Church of St Nicholas with its large green copper dome offers yet another view of the picturesque red roofs of the magical Lesser Town. During the communist regime the tower was used as an observation post by the state secret police. In the 1990s, the tower was restored, and the interior was modified to allow public access. There are 299 steps leading up to the observation deck which is located at a height of 216 feet. A different incomparable view can be seen from the tower of the Old Town Hall, which was originally the seat of the Old Town administration. The core of the complex consists of the oldest building built in Gothic style and with a richly decorated portal. A massive square tower with a height of 216 feet was added during the 14th century. The astronomical clock "Orloj" was installed in it at a later date, and it is one of Prague's most famous towers. On the first floor of the tower there is a chapel with a richly ornamented bay window that looks into the chamber housing the twelve colorful carved figures of the apostles, who appear every hour in the two windows. The movement of the apostles also activates the figures along the sides of the clock – a skeleton representing Death, a Turk representing the Infidel, the Miser, a figure representing Vanity and a rooster. At the bottom of the clock there is a calendar board with the signs of the zodiac which is the work of the famous painter Josef Manes. On the corner of the bay window there is a copy of the remarkable Gothic statue from the late 14th century, which is known as the Old Town Madonna. The youngest, and also the tallest tower, in Prague's center is the 193 feet high Petrín Lookout Tower that stands on the top of Petrín Hill at an altitude of 1073 feet. From the top the entire city is laid out before you. It was built in 1891 as a loose copy inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The top of Petrín Hill can be reached by the funicular that is boarded at the foot of the hill at the Újezd stop. Even at night the illuminated main body of the tower is visible from afar.