Žižkov Tower, Prague, Czech Republic

Prague seen from above

Where? When? How much does it cost?

The TV Tower in Prague is also called the Žižkov TV Tower or in Czech Žižkovská televizni věž. The address is Mahlerovy sady 1, ZIP code 130 00, Praha 3-Žižkov. The nearest public transport stations are the U Prdlavky station 500 meters away from the tower and where the bus line 101 stops and the Jiřího z Poděbrad station 600 meters away where you can get there with tram lines 11, 13, 96, bus line 101 and metro line A. The TV tower is open daily between 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. The price of a standard entry ticket is 300 CZK = 12.75 EUR, and a family ticket is 640 CZK = 27.19 EUR. There are other ticket categories with discounts for seniors, disabled, children, students, even dogs. Children under 3 have free access.

The history of the tower

The Prague TV Tower is not only the tallest building in the capital of the Czech Republic, but also a landmark. The reason for the construction of the tower was that Prague needed a stronger radio and TV broadcast tower, the signal transmitted until then from the Petrin Tower being too weak. Specialists have calculated that a tower with a height of more than 200 meters is needed to solve the requirement. The project met with a lot of criticism because it disturbed a cemetery in the Jewish quarter.

About the Žižkov Television Tower

The Žižkov TV tower is 216 meters high and weighs around 2,200 tons. The tower is also famous for the 10 metal sculptures of children climbing the tower, created by the Czech artist David Černý. The tower was built between 1985 and 1992 in the High Tech style. The architect’s name is Václav Aulický.

1. The Tower and the Babies

The TV tower consists of 3 parallel vertical structures. Due to its location on top of a hill and especially the height of 216 meters it is visible from a distance. In 2000, as part of the Prague – European Capital of Culture project, 10 huge sculptures made of metal laminate representing babies were mounted on the outside of the tower. A baby measures 3.5 meters long, 2.6 meters wide and weighs 150 kg. The sculptures can be seen up close in the park on Kampa Island. The artist who created this work is the Czech David Cerny. As the idea was loved, a year later they were fixed permanently on the tower. Since 2006, in the evening the tower is dressed in the colors of the Czech tricolor. In 2009, the TV tower in Prague received the title of the second ugliest building in the world from the Australian website Virtual Tourist.

TV tower antenna

TV tower babies

A landmark

The TV Tower

2 babies

2. The panoramic platform

It is located at a height of 93 meters and has the role of an observation point with a 360 degree opening. The viewing radius reaches up to 100 km. The platform is accessed by a modern elevator. In the center of the platform is a round room with benches where you can watch films presenting this tourist attraction. 3 glazed rooms open from this, offering a 360-degree view of the city of Prague. Temporary exhibitions are displayed in the rooms.

presentation film

north of the city

The New City

towers of the world

from the panoramic platform

The Old City

rain in Prague

binoculars in the panoramic room

93 m above the ground

3. The room with armchairs

In one of the panoramic rooms, armchairs anchored to the ceiling are mounted, where you can listen to different cosmic sounds, the roar of the sea or musical compositions.

Angel wings

art exposition

room with armchairs

4. Tower Park

The tower is located in the Tower Park, where there is an amphitheater, an ice rink and a miniature golf course. You can read more at http://towerpark.cz

amphitheater in the park

mini golf clubs

Recommendation

If you get to Prague, visit the TV Tower. The view over the city is delightful. In or around the tower there is also a restaurant, a garden, a bistro, an event studio and a one-room hotel. Maybe it’s a good idea to visit the tower in the evening or on a rainy day.

All the best!

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