Prague 3 morning

I reserved Sunday for a walk up Petřín, the hill on the left bank that overlooks Vltava and the city. I was keeping weekdays for day trips outside Prague as there would be less crowds. On the way to the lower funicular station I passed The Broken Men, a memorial to the victims of Communism.

Despite being Sunday or perhaps because of it, there was a long queue at the funicular station. It's part of integrated Prague public transport so regular timed tickets can be used. As it was a fine morning I decided to walk up and get some exercise.

Some of the paths intersect the funicular track at intermediate stations.

The views got better the higher I ascended.

At one station I waited to get an overhead view of a carriage emerging from a tunnel.

At the summit there is a rose garden.

Not often that you see this delicate shade.

Further ahead was the high point of my visit. Petřín Lookout Tower was inspired by, and designed to resemble, the Eiffel Tower but differs in details, for example it is octagonal rather than square in cross-section, and has a building at the base. One similarity is that the its height above sea level is the same as the height of the Eiffel Tower.

There is an intertwined spiral (i.e. double helix) staircase so up and down are separated. I opted not to go to the observation platform, it looked tiring. I did however have a refreshing fruit based drink from the cafe in the base of the tower. I finished my drink in the rest area nearby. There is a mirror maze attraction there. The site was swarming with tourists from all over; Prague is a very popular destination.

Heading north and downhill, I passed the upmarket Lindner Hotel.

This would be the Strahov Monastery. I'm not really into interiors so I didn't pay to look inside.

There is a beer garden nearby where you can taste what the monks have brewed. Too close to lunch time for me.

Czernin Palace, the largest of the baroque palaces of Prague, and currently the Czech foreign ministry.

Downhill is what most people come to see, Hradčany Square, and the nearby Prague Castle.

Changing of the guard.

From here you get a good overview of the city. See the next post for some panoramas. But the castle looks much better from the other side of the river.

There is a small food and drink market catering to the visitors, which also reminded me that it had been many hours since the filling breakfast back at the apartment hotel.

Descending to river level, I happened upon this quirky pencil hedgehog in a stationery shop.

I don't remember what I had for a late lunch. Probably something unmemorable. I do remember looking for a particular restaurant but found it closed for Sunday.

Well this takes me well past the morning but I didn't want to break the sequence. More afternoon photos will be in the next post.