Petřín Lookout Tower

Petřín Lookout Tower
Petřín Lookout Tower at night

The Petřín Lookout Tower (Czech: Petřínská rozhledna) is a 63.5-metre-tall steel-framework tower in Prague, which strongly resembles the Eiffel Tower. The Petřínská rozhledna was built in 1891 and was used as an observation tower as well as a transmission tower. Today the Petřínská rozhledna is a major tourist attraction. The hill is roughly a half-hour walk up paths (which gets quite slippery in the snow) and the tower is a shorter but fairly tiring climb; however, the hill is served by a frequent funicular and the tower has an elevator for disabled people. In 2014 the tower was visited by more than 557,000 visitors, with foreigners accounting for over 70% of said visitors.[1]

The two observation platforms are accessible via 299 stairs in sections of 13 per flight running around the inside of the structure. A pair of staircases form a double-helix structure allowing visitors travelling up and down concurrently.

There are a gift shop and a small cafeteria on the main level. On the lowest level is a small exhibition area. One exhibition displayed Merkur Observation Towers and was held from 6 March 2013 to 30 March 2014.[2]

Petrinska rozhledna versus Eiffel Tower

Petřínská rozhledna is often described as small version of the Eiffel Tower. In contrast to the Eiffel Tower, Petřínská rozhledna has an octagonal, not square, cross-section. Further, it does not stand, as does the Eiffel Tower, on four columns of lattice steel. The whole area under its legs is covered with the entrance hall.

A similarity between the Eiffel Tower and Petřínská rozhledna is the design of the lowest cross beams in the form of round bones.

History

In 1889, members of the Club of Czech Tourists visited the world exposition in Paris and were inspired by the Eiffel Tower. They collected a sufficient amount of money and in March 1891 the building of the tower started for the General Land Centennial Exhibition. It was finished in only four months.

In 1953, a television broadcasting antenna was installed on Petřínská rozhledna, the program feed performed by a directional radio antenna. This served as Prague's main television signal provider until the opening of the Žižkov Television Tower in late 1992.

In 1999, the tower was completely renovated.

From 21 January 2013 the tower is operated by City of Prague Museum

See also

References

  1. ↑ City of Prague Museum press release (czech only)
  2. ↑ http://en.muzeumprahy.cz/merkur-observation-towers/

Coordinates: 50°05′0.76″N 14°23′42.18″E / 50.0835444°N 14.3950500°E / 50.0835444; 14.3950500

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