★★★★★ 5.0
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Petrin Tower
You know what's crazy? You're standing in front of Prague's Eiffel Tower... except it's actually two years OLDER than the original! Yeah, this beauty went up in 1891 for the Jubilee Exhibition, while Gustave's tower in Paris wasn't finished until 1893. The locals call it "Petřínka" - our little iron lady that's exactly one-fifth the size of her French sister at 63.5 meters tall. Look at those rivets - there's 175,000 of them holding this whole thing together! During the Nazi occupation, this tower became a secret lifeline... the Czech resistance used it to jam German radio signals, and the Nazis never figured out where the interference was coming from. See that observation deck up there? On a clear day, you can spot Sněžka mountain 150 kilometers away - that's the furthest viewpoint from any tower in Central Europe. Here's what the tourist guides won't tell you - skip the elevator and take those 299 steps if you come at sunset. The golden hour light hits the city through those iron lattices in a way that'll make your Instagram followers weep with envy. Plus, you'll burn off exactly one beer's worth of calories... perfect excuse for a pint afterwards!
Did You Know?
- Built in just four months in 1891, the Petrin Tower was inspired by the Eiffel Tower after members of the Club of Czech Tourists visited the Paris Exposition Universelle; it was constructed at a 1:5 scale to the original, stands 63.5 meters tall, and was assembled using 175 tons of iron—a feat of rapid engineering and civic pride that immediately became a symbol of Czech national ambition and technological progress.
- During World War II, the Petrin Tower was used by German forces to jam radio signals from the Czech resistance, and at one point, they considered demolishing it because it obstructed the view from Prague Castle—an intriguing intersection of military history, occupation, and the tower's unintended role in wartime Prague.
- Petrin Tower is not just a lookout—its observation deck sits at the same altitude as the Eiffel Tower's, offering panoramic views of Prague Castle, Strahov Monastery, and the Lesser Town, but not close-up views of Charles Bridge or Old Town Square; the tower also features a small exhibition at its base with historic photos, and it famously sways slightly as visitors climb, adding a touch of adventure for families and children.