The Petrin Hill Funicular

My penultimate day in Prague. I got up late, had breakfast, checked in for tomorrow's flight, and caught the tram into town. I was heading for Ujedz to take the newly-reopened funicular to the top of Petrin Hill. 

First opened in July 1891, the funicular was originally powered by an ingenious water-balancing system, with water used to make one carriage heavier so that it could pull the other uphill. It was rebuilt and electrified in 1932, but suffered a major setback in 1965 when landslides damaged the track, forcing it to close for 20 years. More recently, severe rainfall in September 2024 damaged the hillside again, leading to a complete reconstruction of the railway. It finally reopened on 22 September 2026, just a few weeks before my visit, with brand-new, specially designed carriages featuring enormous windows and glass roofs to make the most of the views. 

It seems like the whole world had had the same idea on a Saturday morning! The queue was incredibly long! 

I decided to stick with it and waited for an hour to get on the funicular. Luckily, I was able to grab a place at the front of the car and get the best view on the way up.

At the top of Petrin Hill, there are a number of nicely laid out gardens which are lovely to stroll around. The Prague Planetarium and Observatory is there, too. I took a photo from the outside, but didn't go in. Astronomy isn't really my thing!

The main attraction on top of Petrin Hill is the Observation Tower, a mini Eiffel Tower built for the Prague Exhibition in 1891. The queue to go up it was very long, and with an entrance charge of 400 koruna (about £15), I decided not to bother!

There were also queues to get into the two churches on the hill. So, I didn't visit anywhere. I just took photos from the outside!Read more