Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Žižkov Hill
Next to the monument, dominating the western end of Žižkov Hill (formerly called
Vítkov Hill), is a giant statue of Jan Žižka on horseback (pictured left). It was com-
missioned in 1931 from the Prague sculptor Bohumil Kafka (no relation to Franz),
who had a huge studio specially constructed for the project and worked on the statue
until his death in 1941, by which time he had succeeded only in creating a full-size
plaster version. The statue was eventually cast in bronze - 16.5 tonnes of it - in 1950
and unveiled on 14 July of that year, the anniversary of the Battle of Vítkov Hill.
TAKE A TRAM
Rather than climb steeply up from Husitská immediately below the monument, a much
more enjoyable approach is to take tram 1, 9 or 16 to the Ohrada stop on Koněvova at
the eastern end of Žižkov Hill, and enjoy an easy walk along the crest of the hill, with
great views to either side - south across the rooftops of Žižkov to the TV Tower, and
north over Karlín to the Vltava River and the hills above Troja.
In the 1950s a visit to Klement Gottwald's tomb was a compulsory outing for
school groups and busloads of visiting tourists from Warsaw Pact countries.
Gottwald's morticians, however, were not as adept as Lenin's - by 1962 the body
had decayed so badly that it had to be cremated.
ROOFTOP VIEWS
The lookout point on the museum's roof offers a superb view over the city, and there's
an appealing cafe on the 1st floor with an outdoor terrace.
DON'T MISS...
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Klement Gottwald's enbalming laboratory
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War memorial
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View from the rooftop lookout point
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Giant statue of Jan Žižka
PRACTICALITIES
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Národní Památník na Vítkově
