Prague 4K: Walking Down Petřín Hill | The Best Panoramic Views of the City

Petřín Hill is one of the largest urban green areas, and its slopes are an oasis of calm in Prague. The Rose Garden, or rosarium, at the top of Petrin Hill, Nebozízek Garden, and the Seminary Garden, with more than 2,100 fruit trees, are particularly magical. A favourite destination for families with children and couples in love. The easiest way to reach the top of the hill is with the funicular. Petrín Lookout Tower is famous for its incredible city views, and the mirror maze is an endless source of giggles. Walking paths crisscross the park and are lined with benches with great ideas; there are even several playgrounds here. Petřín Hill, above the Vltava River between Malá Strana and Strahov, is one of the most extensive green areas in the city, with the highest elevation above sea level reaching 320 - 238 m. The first written reference about it dates back to 1108, when the last members of the Vršovec family were executed in the local execution place. Back then, the hill was covered by a deep forest stretching to Bílá Hora. The name Petřín was probably first used in the 17th century and may be derived from the Latin word Petrus (the rocks). The original name was German - Laurenzberg - after the Chapel of St. Vavřinec (Laurenz), built here at the turn of the 10th century. The forest gradually gave way to vineyards and farming lands in the Middle Ages. In the 14th century, Charles IV had a Hunger Wall built here. It is 1178 m long, 7.5-8 m high, and has an average width of 170 cm. One explanation says he wanted to employ the starving citizens when there was no harvest, but the point was probably to provide Malá Strana with new fortifications. Since 1980, extensive restoration of the badly damaged Hunger Wall has been realised in stages to return it to its original state. A romantic observation place called Citadela from the last century is again used for its original purpose.
For a long time, many springs have been rising from the Petřín hills, so an aqueduct was built here. It was a system of tunnels that brought water to the Strahov Monastery, Pohořelec, and Malá Strana. The tunnels went through several reconstructions. In 1965, water that had been undermining Petřín caused a landslip, damaging the cableway track and causing further damage. After rebuilding and completion, seventeen tunnels lead the Petřín Spring to the Vltava. Over centuries, Petřín Hill was divided into several gardens, the cultivation of which mainly dates back to the 1830s. The most extensive garden, Kinský Garden, was established outside the ramparts and thus forms a separate unit.