*Petřín hill : a 5km walk in Emperor Charles IV’s private vineyard*

• During the 14th century reign of Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, Charles IV, Prague arguably became the most important capital city in Europe. Charles oversaw the significant expansion of the Bohemian crown lands across the region from his seat in Prague castle. At home, Charles founded the first university in Central Europe and re-modelled much of the city. On Petřín hill, a massive fortification wall was built to protect the castle area – the Hladová zeď, which still stands today . On the slopes beneath the wall, the Emperor created a large private vineyard to satisfy the needs of his expanding court.
• Today, most of the vineyards on Petřín have been replaced by fruit trees, landscaped terraces and gardens. Paths weave amongst the terraces , offering a variety of spectacular views over old and new Prague. Much of the architecture on display was originally constructed during the reign of Charles IV.
• One famous Petřín monument that was definitely not created in Charles’ lifetime is the striking Petřín Tower – a scaled down version of the Eiffel Tower. It was built in 1891 as part of the World Exhibition which was held in Prague that year. It is still possible to visit the lookout point on the 60m high tower.
• Any tour of Petřín park should inevitably include a stop at the tower, but there are several possible approach routes – including a funicular that brings passengers up to the top of the hill from the Újezd street, 130m below. However, a nicer approach is to enter the park through the courtyard of the ancient Strahov monastery. This striking building, now in a Baroque form, was originally founded in 1140 by Prince Vladislav II. It was shortly afterwards acquired by the Premonstratensian order, which still owns the site today.
• Strahov monastery can be reached by tram, and there is a small paid parking area on the nearby Pohořelec street. From there, the suggested itinerary follows the Raoul Wallenberg Promenade with its superb views over the city followed by an ascent to the Petřín Tower (note – if travelling with a buggy this is a step section).
• From the Tower, the suggested route passes through the colourful Rose garden, past the Štefánikova planetarium and then winds down the terraces of the English-style Kinský garden created in the 19th century, with its water features.
• The return journey follows the terraces in the middle of the hill, passing the famous restaurants of Nebuzízek and Petřínské terasy, before returning to Strahov along the Raoul Wallenberg Promenade. The route just described is 4.9 km long and involves 130m of height gained/lost. Apart from the restaurants on Petřín there are refreshment options in the Strahov monastery complex as well as some good cafés on Pohořelec street.

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’  to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.

Directions

• Start the walk at Strahov monastery, which can be reached by tram, and there is a small paid parking area on the nearby Pohořelec street
• Enter the park area through the doorway that leads off the courtyard in front of the main monastery building
• After 100m turn right onto the Raoul Wallenberg Promenade
• After 370m turn right onto the steps that lead up to the Tower viewpoint
• From the Tower pass through the the nearest doorway in the wall, in the direction of the Růžový sad (Rose Garden) and Štefánikova hvězdárna (Planetarium)
• After walking the length of the Rose Garden, reenter the Petřín park area through the wall, and descend on the winding path towards the Kinský palace and water features – signposted Socha Herkula (Hercules statue)
• At Hercules statue, follow the terrace path back toward Prague castle for 300m and then ascend the steps
• Take the terrace path towards the fortress wall , passing through the upper bastion (small tower fortification) and following the middle terrace path past the restaurants of Nebozízek and Petřínské terasy
• Rejoin the Raoul Wallenberg Promenade and return on the same path back to Strahov monastery