Updated 02/12/2020 Views 497 Comments 0
One of the attractions of Prague is the television tower, which I call the “Tiwi Tower”, because the Czech version of the pronunciation (Žižkov something like that) has not yet caught on with me. Looking ahead, I immediately recommend this area for you to stay in case you are not delighted with the tourist center of Prague. This area is quite convenient, quiet, calm, and prices in cafes and restaurants are lower. But getting from here is not so difficult. The same place is only 10 minutes away by tram. There is also a metro in this area. Now let's return to the TV tower in Prague.
For all its strangeness, the tower is the best viewpoint of the city, from where you can view all corners of Prague with comfort and a camera. 360 degree view. Although it should be noted that the central part is quite far from here and you can recognize the main attractions only by silhouettes.
Not the most popular attraction, so there are no crowds, which is great. The observation deck is equipped with telescopes and hanging chairs in the “Men in Black” style, which, coupled with the small number of visitors, makes the observation deck a very cozy and interesting place to visit.
I traditionally came before sunset to take photos of day and night Prague at once. So there is a problem with night photos: the light from the interior illumination (blue and red) is reflected in the glass and all this is visible in the photo. Plus the glass is cloudy and dirty. But during the day it doesn't really bother me.
In the evening, the outside of the tower begins to shine “with all the colors of the rainbow” - lights like the Czech flag come on. If there are clouds in the sky, then it looks like “fire”. It's like being in a science fiction movie.
At the top of the tower there is a restaurant called "Clouds" and your seat (i.e. window size) will depend on the amount of your order. The drinks (bar) have smaller windows and a worse view. A full meal will have a tall window and an excellent panoramic view. On the day I arrived (Friday) in the afternoon, there were no seats in the restaurant. They said that we had to book in advance. Please take this into account. Therefore, I limited myself to only the observation deck. But according to reviews, the restaurant is overpriced and the quality is average. So I wasn't upset.
The restaurant downstairs on the ground “Mimino” is also, according to reviews, not ice. So it’s better to come here only to the observation deck.
Žižkov TV Tower in Prague - Czech Republic flag Historical reference
The Žižkov TV Tower is considered the tallest building in Prague, in particular and in the entire Czech Republic - globally. It was designed in 1985 - it was from there that this “unprecedented” futurism of the era of socialist realism came to us, which was brought to life already in 1992. And against the backdrop of the beautiful city, this tower does not look “at all.”
In 2000, as an experiment and to “decorate” the tower, ten sculptures of crawling, faceless, black babies were placed on it. On all the main resources dedicated to Prague, you can see in the photo the tower with babies. But they are no longer in my photographs - they were removed in 2017 for reconstruction and never returned. The tower isn't one of the most amazing buildings anyway, and these babies are just like fragments of the horror game "Silent Hill", although I probably would have liked it.
By the way, the building occupies some top rating among the ugly buildings in the world, which somehow inexplicably made it a source of pride for the Czech Republic (but this is not accurate). The height is 260 meters and the tower is visible from almost all areas of Prague. There is even a joke that the best views of Prague are from the Žižkov Tower because you cannot see the Žižkov Tower from it.
As promised earlier, today we will see the Žižkov TV Tower. A little information about this building:
- located in the Prague 3 area, also called Vinohrady.
- construction began in 1985, but ended only in 1992, project: Aulicki, Kozak and Boehm.
- the height of the tower is 216 meters and it is the tallest building in the Czech Republic.
- for visitors there is an observation deck at an altitude of 93 meters and a restaurant at an altitude of 66 meters, the passenger elevator moves at a speed of 4 m/sec.
- in addition to television and radio broadcasting equipment, the tower houses a meteorological station.
- the tower is decorated with sculptures by David Cherny. This is a very popular artist and sculptor, his works are often found in Prague, you have already seen some of them in previous posts about Prague, in particular, the inverted horse of St. Wenceslas and the Pissing Men. More of David Cherny's work can be viewed on his website.
View of the tower from the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. The cathedral is also quite unusual in its architecture, built in 1932 by Josip Jože.
View from Ondrickova street.
The tower is interesting not only for its views, but also for its own sake. Here are the same sculptures by David Cherny depicting babies without faces. A couple of their brothers can be found near the Kampa Museum in Mala Strana.
Each weighs about 100 kg (they’re strong, you can’t say anything). There was a history with them: they were placed on the tower for a short period in 2000, in honor of Prague being declared a European City of Culture. Then they were removed, fearing that they would collapse due to the snow that accumulated in winter. However, the townspeople really liked them and collected signatures for their return. In 2001, the kids returned to their place.
Can anyone tell me what they basically symbolize, why they have something like a barcode instead of faces? I scoured the net and still couldn't find the answer.
There are many of them here.
Naked babies.
Here's a bigger one. What is this thing he has instead of a face?
The butts are dry and without any diapers.
And here is the entrance to the tower: no hassles like we have in Ostankino - I came, I saw, I visited!
At the top there is a photo chronicle of construction, and you can also find images of various television towers and skyscrapers from around the world. No photographs of Ostankino, like other Moscow towers, have been seen.
There are also paid telescopes and special podiums on the observation deck from which you can look and film over the heads of other visitors.
Alas, like all television towers and most public observation platforms around the world, everything here is glazed, and this glass is far from ideal. So I apologize in advance for the poor quality, glare and other delights.
Neighborhood.
Olshanka Avenue with the hotel of the same name in the foreground and the building of the O2 telecommunications company.
This building is closer. From a distance it can be mistaken for an air traffic control tower. Nearby is the Žižkovsky train station, as I understand it, a freight train station (Nákladové nádraží Žižkov).
Libeň area.
View towards the historical center of Prague and the Main Station, from which you can go to any city in Europe, including Moscow (we came to it and left it back).
Hradcany.
Church of St. Prokop.
Frantisek Skrop Square (the composer is Czech).
Church of St. Ludmila.
National Museum.
Some kind of high-rise.
Masaryk station.
The historical center again.
Petřín Hill.
In the next episode, we’ll take a break from the city views and look at the animals: Prague has a very enchanting zoo, considered one of the best in the world. That's where we'll go.
In previous episodes.
Hello, friends! This object will be of interest to fans of modern architecture - the TV tower in Prague, which is the tallest building in the Czech Republic, is included in the Federation of Tall Towers of the World. The Czech television tower is unique in its design. Compare other relay facilities around the world and you will agree that they have more similarities than differences. The Prague Tower clearly stands out for its design:
This originality has given rise to a lot of controversy around. Critics were as sophisticated as they could... And “the ugliest building”, and “Žižkov’s finger”, and “an ugly building that disturbs the panorama of Prague” - all these are unflattering descriptions of the modern project of the Czech capital.
I completely disagree with the critics. Personally, I am impressed by the original design of the tower. It rises away from the center of Prague and does not at all suppress historical architectural objects. And I agree with other reviews when the TV tower is compared to a rocket taking off. Here it is, starting over the city:
Is there really a resemblance to a rocket? This photo was taken from an observation deck, but the Žižkov Tower in Prague is visible from almost everywhere. So, why Zizkovskaya? By location. The television tower is located in, next to Vinohrady.
I will provide more details about this modern facility:
- About the tower design
- About what you can visit in the Žižkov Tower
- Address and how to get there
Construction of the Žižkov television tower
To come up with something new given the known variety of architectural forms, in my opinion, is not an easy task. But the Czech architect Vaclav Aulicki coped with this. The television tower in Žižkov was built according to his design in 1985-1992. engineers Jiri Kozak and Alex Bem.
A tower 216 m high “grew” in the park in the form of three large pillars connected by platforms that look like cabins:
Actually, the height of the pillars is 134 meters, but one of them, which is larger in diameter, is extended by an antenna. All this was built for the sake of the antenna. In Prague, there was a need to move to a new level of television and radio broadcasts, which the Petřín Tower could not cope with.
From the very beginning of construction, battles broke out around the tower: they are building in the wrong place, and in the wrong place... The construction site was chosen next to an ancient cemetery. To begin the construction of the tower, the first step was to lay the foundation at a depth of 15 m in the form of a reinforced concrete slab 4 meters thick and 30 meters in diameter.
During the work, they came across the remains of burials, which caused a storm of public indignation. But, if you think about it, in a city that is more than a thousand years old, you can’t dig anywhere at all... It’s good if they find it, but there is a much greater likelihood of other finds.
Before they had time to defend the right to the location of the Žižkov TV tower, other claims arose. We were concerned about the electromagnetic load on the environment. A specially created commission began to study the level of maximum load and came to the conclusion that it was several times lower than permissible, therefore eliminating the risk of negative impact.
Construction of the tower was completed in 1992, and in 2000 it was decided to decorate the structure with “Babies” sculptures. The sculptor, known for his shocking ideas, made bronze babies, 10 of which were attached to the tower:
This is what the layout of the sculptures looks like on the model. They are attached to the tower in exactly the same order. It is only from bottom up or from afar that they are more difficult to view. There is still a convenient way to see and even touch babies. Three babies are installed on Kampa Island next to the Museum of Modern Art. There they are exhibited as a monument to unborn children.
On the tower, the sculptures are concentrated in the area of the cabins, which house a restaurant, bar, hotel and observation deck. On the layout you can see everything in detail:
What to visit in Žižkov TV Tower
A hotel in a TV tower is a big word. There is only one room at an altitude of 70 m, for which guests pay an exorbitant price. However, they say that there are people interested. Basically, these are newlyweds. Well, who else is ready to fork out so much for romance?)))
What is interesting to visit is the observation deck, which is called the observatory. The pleasure is also not free. Entrance fees to the tower for adults, students and children are 200, 140 and 120 CZK respectively.
The theater starts from the hanger, and the Žižkov TV Tower from the reception)) And although this reception is not designed for ordinary visitors, the atmosphere is very inviting:
Probably the newlyweds are about to arrive at the hotel))
Observatory
Visitors, having purchased tickets, proceed to the elevator and fly up to a height of 93 meters. There is no other way to tell how they take off - the elevator cabin moves at a speed of 4 m/s.
From the elevator platform you can enter three halls-cabins, which are located in a circle, and where you can explore Prague and the surrounding area in all directions. From this point you can clearly see not only the city below, but also the neighboring cabin:
The halls are equipped with airy chairs that perfectly match the high-altitude observation deck:
In good weather, the view from the tower opens up to 100 km. Take a closer look at this photo. Approximately in the center near the horizon line you can see the towers of St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle:
The nearby districts of Vinohrady and Žižkov are visible from literally every courtyard. The green ship crashes into the panorama of residential areas:
And here are views of modern Prague. Notice how green the capital of the Czech Republic is. Prague is called the hundred-towered city, but in addition to the towers, it has many parks and gardens:
The panoramas, of course, from such a height are wonderful. If it provides an excellent overview of Prague, then from the height of the Žižkov Tower you can see more distant surroundings and mountains on the horizon.
Bar Clouds
After viewing Prague from each cabin and relaxing in space-design chairs, you can also look into the Oblaka bar, which is located below, at a 66-meter altitude:
In the center of the bar there is an interesting spiral staircase that leads up to the hotel room:
What is interesting about this staircase is that on each step there is engraved the name of an object from the list of high-rise towers, which includes the Žižkov Tower. There were not enough steps for all objects, but there were about two dozen.
And here’s greetings from “Oblaki”:
Next to the bar is a cabin on the same level - Oblaka restaurant. In general, if someone is tired of ground-based restaurants in Prague, there is an opportunity to diversify their lunches and dinners at a 66-meter altitude. Clouds work until midnight. Prices correspond to the name))
Such a complex was created in the Zizkov TV tower. However, the Czechs are not original in this. Almost every television tower in the world has an observation deck and bars and restaurants - rotating or static.
How to get to the Žižkov Tower
The tower is located at Mahlerovy sady 1. It is convenient to get there by metro on the green line, station - Jiřího z Poděbrad.
Due to the height of the object, you will see it immediately at the exit from the metro. You will have to walk a little, but this is for the best - look at the tower in its entire height. The road passes by the original one. With a huge number of cathedrals in Prague, this temple stands out for its style.
Young people like to visit the Žižkova TV Tower. Lounge bar Oblaca attracts with its atmosphere. It’s not difficult to imagine what fantastic views open up from above over evening Prague. Should tourists visit? If you come to Prague for two or three days, you will hardly have time for the TV tower. Well, if you stay in the Czech Republic longer, then it all depends on your interests...
Your euro guide Tatyana
Žižkov TV Tower is one of the recognizable symbols of Prague. Built in 1985-1992, the Žižkov TV Tower is the tallest building in the Czech Republic, with a height of 216 meters. At an altitude of 66 meters there is a restaurant, at 93 meters there is an observation deck from where an excellent panorama of Prague opens. The tower is also an active television center.
The Prague Television Tower is a member of the World Federation of High-Rise Towers and is the 25th tallest tower. For comparison, the Russian Ostankino Tower is third on this list.
Observation deck in the Prague TV tower, tickets in 2020
An entrance ticket to the observation deck of the Žižkov TV Tower costs 250 CZK for an adult (about 10 euros), 160 CZK for a child from 3 to 14 years old (6.5 EUR), 180 CZK (7 EUR) for schoolchildren and students from 14 to 26 years. A family ticket, which includes 2 adults and 3 children, costs CZK 590 (EUR 30).
At the foot of the TV tower, in the TowerParkPraha park, there is another restaurant - Miminoo, you can reserve a table by phone +420 210 320 140 . .
In addition, there is a luxurious six-star(!) hotel in the TV tower One room, which has only one number. From every point in the room, even from the bathroom, there is a stunning panoramic view of Prague below. Spending one night here costs from 575 euros, on other days the price reaches 850 euros. Despite the high price, the hotel is popular among newlyweds and couples in love. .
History of the Žižkov TV Tower
The Prague Television Tower was built in 1985-1992 according to the design of the architect Vaclav Aulicki. The architecture of the tower consists of three high concrete pillars, on which cubes-observation platforms seem to hang: in the three lower ones there is a restaurant, in the next - three observation platforms with a 360-degree view. At the last level there is relay equipment - the TV tower is operational. Opponents of the tower are dissatisfied, firstly, with its appearance, which does not suit the surrounding area at all, and secondly, with the fact that an old Jewish cemetery was partially destroyed for its construction.
The tower received its name from the Zizkov district in which it is located. It has been recognized many times as both an architectural monument, a cultural heritage and one of the main attractions of Prague, and as the ugliest building in the city, or even one of the ugliest buildings in the world, which spoils the panorama of the Czech capital with its appearance. There is still no consensus on this matter among tourists and the residents of Prague themselves - some people like the tower, but others don’t at all.
From 2000 to this day, the tower has been decorated with the sculptural composition “Babies” by the famous Polish postmodernist sculptor David Czerny (or Cerny, Czech: David Černý), who became famous for his provocative, even scandalous, but at the same time ironic works. Babies have no faces - this is how the artist expressed his protest against abortion. The babies not only decorate the tower's trunk, but also balance the structure - each of them weighs more than half a ton, and the sculptor personally chose where to place each sculpture.
The faceless babies are removed from the tower for maintenance from time to time, so sometimes they may not be found. Once they wanted to remove them completely, but the residents of Prague loved them so much, largely due to the fact that thanks to them the building, reminiscent of socialist times, turned into a modern one, that in the end they left the little ones, only by improving the fastenings.
How to get to Žižkov TV Tower in Prague
There is no metro or public transport stops directly next to the tower, so be prepared to walk a bit.
The easiest way is to take the metro on the green line to the Jiřího z Poděbrad station, from which it takes 5 minutes to walk to the Žiřího TV Tower.
You can take tram routes 11, 13 to the stop of the same name Jiřího z Poděbrad, from there it is also only a 5-minute walk.
Alternatively, you can take a taxi: either the regular services, the Uber app, which is quite common in Europe, or the Prague taxi app Modry Andel.
Video about Žižkov TV Tower in Prague
The Žižkov Television Tower in Prague is an active television station in the city and a tourist attraction, around which there have been a lot of dark legends and controversial rumors since its appearance.
Babies made of cast iron, trampled Jewish bones, increased electromagnetic radiation - no matter what scares our brother tourists, but we still want to look at Prague from a bird's eye view, because the spectacle is worth it!
TV tower, which is called in Czech Žižkovský vysílač and is the main part of the complex Tower Park Praha, is not included in popular tourist routes. However, it can be seen from almost anywhere in Prague.
High level of... contradictions
The entire structure, made of glass, concrete, metal and God knows what else, looks like a rocket. It consists of 3 pillars, united by observation platforms. For 20 years now, since the appearance of the tower, the natives have not been able to come to a common denominator in assessing this futuristic structure. Some people like the tower in Zizkov, others cannot stand it, calling it “an ugly socialist misunderstanding.” The creation of Václav Aulický, despite the negative, has become a real new symbol of Prague and a fashionable place for young people.
The TV tower in Prague is visible from everywhere - literally, from any city. And not everyone is happy about this.
To get to the very top and see with your own eyes the red roofs of Prague and the wonderful landscapes from above, you need to overcome 93 meters. It is at this height that the observation deck is located.
And the height of the tower together with the spire is 216 meters. There are no higher buildings in the Czech Republic. By the way, by world standards, this is not so much for a tower. The weight of the structure is almost 12 thousand tons.
Babies are crawling...
If climbing stairs is not your thing, you can use the high-speed elevator, which takes tourists to three observation rooms and a cafe in just 20 seconds.
The elevator has already brought someone to the fourth floor.
Just for fun, you can try crawling onto the TV tower like “Babies” David Black (David Černý) However, this method of lifting is unlikely to be approved by the security of the television center. This scandalous sculptor breeds ambiguity throughout the Czech capital. Statues by him can be found in parks, streets and avenues of Prague. So they took root on the TV tower. And, unlike the television center itself, they evoke exclusively positive emotions among the native Prague residents.
In the first year, during the winter season, faceless babies were taken down from a height, fearing that under the weight of snow they would bombard the area under the tower. But then the author of the sculptures found sponsors who helped secure the “children” on a vertical surface. By the way, a favorite pastime of tourists is counting “babies”, because this information is rarely found in guidebooks.
Now you too will be puzzled by the question - how many babies are there, really? An Internet search today does not provide a direct answer to this question. They probably don't want to reveal the secret. But we will definitely tell you everything - at the end of this article.
Why don't Prague residents like the TV tower?
There are at least three reasons.
1. The Žižkov TV Tower is unusual in shape. There is no smell of classics here, much less baroque style. The structure resembles a launch complex at a cosmodrome and sharply contrasts with the architectural ensembles of Prague. Perhaps that is why the tower has so many enemies among the Prague residents. They even joke: “In Prague, you should definitely climb the TV tower, because this is the only place from where you can’t see it!”
2. The second version of dislike is this: they don’t like the tower due to its location, because she stands on bones. Indeed, there has been a Jewish cemetery here since the 18th century. There were a number of graves under the TV tower at the time of its construction. Radical residents of Prague call construction on the site of a graveyard sacrilege and unanimously dislike the erected structure. By the way, the cemetery still exists - it is located right next to residential buildings, and such proximity does not bother anyone.
3. They do not add popularity to the TV tower and are very high prices for the entrance to the viewing room, the size of the average check in the restaurant there and a paid telescope.
The sights and sounds of Prague TV Tower: Observation Deck
There are not many visitors to the tower. Crowds at the ticket office and at the telescope are excluded. You can always sit in cozy hanging cradles on the observation deck and look at the impressive landscapes of the Czech Republic without fuss, while listening to the sounds of the city. “Orloj”, the bells of St. Vitus Cathedral, the rustle of the Vltava waters and the noise of the metro will help create a complete image of the capital of the Czech Republic. To remember this wonderful place, you can buy a coin from the souvenir machine.
At night the tower is illuminated. Most often she shines.
Restaurant on the tower and bar "Oblaka"
The appearance and interior decoration of the tower are reminiscent of 60s science fiction. For example, the reception desk is shaped like a huge glass ball with legs. And the high-rise restaurant (66 meters above the city) and the Oblaka bar are the most fashionable establishments in Prague. The prices here are quite high.
A spiral staircase leads up from the restaurant. Climbing its steps, you can get acquainted with the towers of dozens of countries around the world. Each tower, its location and height are engraved on a separate step. But the people of Prague did not find a place for the Russian Ostankino Tower. This staircase leads to the hotel.
Hotel with 6 (!) stars
There is a meteorological laboratory and a unique luxury hotel with 6 stars on the Žižkov Tower. The only room with huge panoramic windows is loved by newlyweds. And although the cost of the pleasure is 30 thousand crowns, there are always those willing. The hotel's furnishings are made in high-tech style. Here you can admire Prague from a height of 70 meters even from the bathroom.
How to get to the "ugliest tower"?
The Žižkov Tower is visible from afar, but getting to it is not easy. If you are not by car, you will have to walk a couple more blocks from any transport. From the Jiřího z Poděbrad metro station to the tower you need to walk to the northeast.
Just in case, the exact address is: Mahlerovy sady 1, 130 00 Praha 3.
Trams 5, 9 and 26 will take you to the Lipanská stop, and from there it’s also a walking race. Here we are!