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The funicular to Petrin

Length: 510 metres, number of stops: 3, number of vehicles: 2, height: 130 metres, average speed: 4m/s.

The funicular to Petrin was built at the same time as the Lookout tower Petrin and its main purpose was to transport the visitors up to the hill, so they could have got to the Lookout tower easily. The funicular operation started on 25th July 1891. The first appearance of the funicular way very different from the one we know nowadays: the route was shorter and there were three rails. It was the longes funicular in Austria-Hungary.

During the WWI, the funicular was out of order. It didn´t start working until 1931, when the Electrical Plants overtook its administration. The old funicular was took to pieces and brand new vehicles were installed. They had the modern, electric motors. Also, the lowest station changed its location – it moved closer to Újezd. From those days, the funicular has only two rails.  The other news was the system of the safety ropes that allowed to the driver to stop the vehicle wherever on the route. The operation started in July 1932 and the funicular obtained the new first place – the funicular with the highest transport capacity in Europe – 1300 people per minute.

Then, the funicular worked without any interruption until June 1965. In that time, the strong rains disrupted the hill of Petrin and the operation of the funicular must have been stopped for almost 20 years.

In 1981, the strenghtening of the hill of Petrin took place and it was decided about the reconstruction of the funicular. One of the main goals was to use the original technologies of the funicular. Let´s mention once again the unique system of the safety ropes.

From 1985, the funicular is integrated in the system of the Prague Public Transport (DPP).

At the upper stop of the funicular, you may visit the Lookout tower of Petrin, the Mirror Labyrinth, The Observatory or the Rose Garden. We should also mention the Hunger Wall (its construction was initiated by Charles IV.) with bastions.
From the station Nebozizek you may see the amazing view of the Prague Castle and the whole city center of Prague.

The opening hours of the Funicular during the year (except from the periods of the regular revisions  - more information about it in the article The Funicular to Petrin is out of order):
Winter (November – March):  from 9am to 11:20pm, every 15 minutes
Summer (April – October): from 9am to 11:30pm, every 10 minutes.

The tickets are chargeable according to the tariff of the DPP hl. m. Prahy.

Tefonujte  na 224 916 485, pište na kurzy@tyrkys.cz, navštivte nás osobně Na Moráni 5, Praha 2