Views from Vítkov: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly (+ Jan Žižka)

• On 14 July 1420, a large Catholic army loyal to Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, attempted to crush a small force of outnumbered soldiers led by the Hussite general Jan Žižka. The Hussite forces were entrenched on the fortified hill of Vítkov, just to the east of the medieval Prague center. Despite their overwhelming superiority in numbers and experience, the Catholic army was defeated and forced to retreat from the Prague area.
• The victory was widely attributed to the formidable defensive tactical skills of Jan Žižka (the use of fortified wagons – effectively the world’s first tanks – as well as his penchant for the use of early hand guns). This was the first decisive battle in the Prague area in the Hussite Wars. Within six months almost the entire Bohemian territory was under Hussite control. Žižka became the figurehead of the proto-Protestant Hussite revolution.
• Jan Žižka remains a national hero to this day – the undefeated local general who faced off against a European superpower… and won. He sits proudly astride his bronze horse on the summit of Vítkov hill, surveying (with his one eye) what has become of Prague in the intervening six hundred years. Žižka would probably have found the view a bit confusing – 15th century Prague is certainly still visible from the hilltop – but some of the nearby architecture might have been a little less to his taste.
• Visitors to Prague (and even the occasional resident) often scale the flanks of the hill to admire the largest equestrian statue in Central Europe and take in the 360 degree views of the Prague landscape. Žižka’s statue faces away from the dominant functionalist building on the hill top, which today houses the National Museum’s exhibition of 20th century Czechoslovak history. Medieval Prague has, unsurprisingly, been somewhat obscured by the more industrial landscape immediately surrounding Vítkov hill, but it is still worth the trip to the summit, especially to see all the different architectural shades of Prague – the good, the bad and even the ugly.
• There are several approaches to Vítkov hill. If coming from the center of Prague, then a convenient route is to follow the A25 cycle path which departs from close to the main station and winds its way up to the hilltop. Once on the hill in addition to gazing at Žižka and possibly visiting the museum, it is worth traversing the plateau for the different views of the Prague skyline.
• Although the museum has a café, for more exciting exciting refreshments after a tour of the hill, consider leaving Vítkov through the Žižkovský tunnel to reach the trendy refurbished residential and business district of Karlín. There are many good restaurants, cafés and bistros to choose from, including the unusual Eska bakery and restaurant. All the route described below in on asphalt pavements, and can be navigated with a stroller. There is 140m of height to be climbed.

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

• From the main train station, pass under the highway and then the railway on Seifertova street
• Join the cycle path immediately after passing under the railway – there are access ramps (or steps) on both sides of Seifertova street
• Follow the cycle path towards the hill – at various points there is the option to take the steps to the left to short cut the route to the summit. However, the cycle route eventually winds up to the summit without the need to climb steps
• At the summit, explore at leisure including the viewpoints from the gazebo on the western edge and the wooden observation tower on the eastern edge
• Once done at the summit, if wishing to visit Karlín, retrace the path down the hill on the southern side, to reach Hustiská street. Žižkovský tunnel starts here and passes through the hill to reach Karlín
• The tunnel emerges on Thámova street. Continue for 50m to reach the junction with Pernerova street. The Eska bakery is 100m to the right along Pernerova. The metro station Křižíkova is 300m further along Thámova