Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the
Monument to Victims of Communism Who Survived.
The monument's figures are gradually atrophied by the totalitar-
ian regime. They do not die, but slowly disappear, one limb at a
time. The statistics say it all: In Czechoslovakia alone, 205,486
people were imprisoned, 248 were executed, 4,500 died in prison,
327 were shot attempting to cross the border, and 170,938 left the
country. To the left of the monument is the
Hungry Wall,
Charles
IV's 14th-century equivalent of FDR's work-for-food projects. On
the right (50 yards away) is the base of a handy
funicular
—hop on
to reach Petřín Tower
(uses 20-Kč tram/Metro ticket, runs daily,
every 10-15 min from 8:00-22:00).
The summit of Petřín Hill is considered the best place in
Prague to take your date for a romantic city view. Built for an
exhibition in 1891, the 200-foot-tall
Petřín Tower
is a fifth the
height of its Parisian big brother, which was built two years earlier.
But, thanks to this hill, the top of the tower sits at the same eleva-
tion as the real Eiffel Tower. Climbing the 400 steps rewards you
with amazing views over the city. Local wives drag their men to
Petřín Hill each May Day to reaffirm their love with a kiss under a
blooming sour-cherry tree.
In the tower's basement is the funniest sight in Prague, the
Museum of Jára Cimrman, Genius Who Did Not Become
Famous.
The museum traces Cimrman's (fictional) life, includ-
ing pictures and English descriptions of the thinker's overlooked
inventions (50 Kč includes tower and Cimrman museum, daily
10:00-22:00). For more on the mysterious Cimrman, see the
sidebar on page 92.
The
mirror maze
next door is nothing special, but fun to
quickly wander through since you're already here (50 Kč, daily
10:00-22:00).
