Remarks
Dominated by the towers of Strahov, the Petrin hill is covered with vineyards, pastures and woodland. It is accessed via the Iankova, a funicular railway which leaves from the Ujezd at the foot of Mala Strana, and crosses the Wall of Famine, which was built at the request of Charles IV to give work to the poor who were threatened with famine. With its generally straight pathways and circular trails, you can get pretty views over Prague and discover several curiosities. One such curiosity is the Rozhledna, a 60-metre-tall copy of the Eiffel Tower that was built in 1891. It has 299 steps to the top for a wonderful panoramic view of the city. Another curiosity is St Michael's Church, which is entirely made out of wood with bulbous belltowers. The church was brought from Ukraine in 1928 to commemorate the loss of Ruthenia. Then there is the neo-Gothic Bludiste, containing a hall of mirrors to amuse visitors. Or even St Laurent's Church, a Baroque construction dating back to 1740. That is nothing original, but its nave is part of the Wall of Famine and shows elements of the primitive Gothic construction. Only the Empire-style Kinsky Villa seems normal - except it is falling apart!