The best things to do and see in Žižkov district of Prague, including museums, hidden gems, restaurants, Zizkov TV Tower, footbal stadium, churches to help you to make the most of your visit to this fascinating area.
Are you planning a trip to Prague and looking to explore beyond the typical tourist hotspots? If so, the Žižkov district is the perfect destination for you and should be on your list. Zizkov is very different to the centre of Prague; it’s more eclectic, vibrant and a real and authentic face of Prague and a perfect place to escape the crowds.
Žižkov has a rich history and was once a working-class district with a reputation for being gritty. This was because after WW2 all the private houses were taken over by the state and new tenants were moved in. The whole area was left to its own devices until the 70s when the plans were to take down all the old 19th-century housing and build new modern houses.
Fortunately, not everything got pulled down and today, many of the houses have been returned back to their owners and are being gradually restored. There are many independent shops, quirky cafe places, restaurants and bars with a vibrant nightlife. You might recognise the modern Žižkov Television Tower, which is visible from pretty much anywhere in Prague, but there are also some surprisingly old historical sites, like the Old Jewish Cemetery.
In this guide, I wanted to share with you the best things to do and see in Žižkov, and give you inside tips on how to make the most of your visit to this fascinating district. So put on your walking shoes and let’s explore Žižkov together!
How to use this Zizkov guide
I’ve visited Zizkov many times during the last few years and I have to say, that if you wanted to see everything, it would take a few days.
A visit to Vitkov Hill and the Memorial can easily take most of the day. Normally when I go to Zizkov, I just wander around turning whichever street I want, and I always find more independent shops, restaurants, coffee places and quiet squares.
But, to get the most out of your time in Zizkov, I thought it would be handy to plan your visit based on each area rather than jumping from one place to another. Each area could be easily 1/2 day or a whole day trip out.
Route 1
Tram no 9 to Ohrada – walk to Vitkov Hill and the park – Vitkov Memorial (cafe, view from the top, museum) – walk down to the old railway track route (cafes, refreshment stops) – either walk to the old tunnel first and back to the Prague Main Train Station or walk down and visit the Army Museum
Route 2
Tram or Underground to Jiriho z Podebrad – Farmer’s Market – Independent coffee places – Church of the Most Sacred Heart of our Lord – Zizkov Tower – Old Jewish Museum – Old Phone Exchange – Palace Acropolis – Skroupovo Square (Riegrovy Park is just a couple of streets away and although the park is technically in Prague 2, not Zizkov, you can finish your walk there with a beautiful view of Prague)
Route 3
Tram to Olsanske Hrbitovy (Lipanska) tram number 9 and others – Olsany Cemetary – Parukarka Park – Parukarka Nuklear Bunker – Havlicek Square – Zizkov Town Hall – Independent Ice-Cream Shop ‘Zmrzku Hned’ – St. Prokop Church – Costnice Square – Coffee Place under the Trees – Viktoria Zizkov Park – Double Decker Coffee Place – Rooftop Happiness Bar & Views of Prague – through Churchill square underpass to the Main Train Station
Route 4
Tram number 9 to ‘Strazni’ – walk up through the purpose-built village – The Geological Centre of Prague – Krejcarek Park – (you can follow the path down and then across the road to link to the Vitkov Hill if you wish) – Jidelna Vozovna Zizkov – Zidovske Pece Park (Jewish Ovens Park) – link to Parukarka Park or Zizkovska Strudlarna – the large empty space at Konevova Street – Komensky Square – Old Market Buildings – Tunel to Karlin – continue on the old railway track back to the Main Train Station or take the tunnel to Karlin Prague district.
The Zizkov TV Tower
The Žižkov Television Tower is not only the tallest building in Prague, but also the highest observation deck in the Czech Republic, standing at 216 meters.
The structure consists of three cylindrical steel tubes reaching a height of 134 meters together. The main tube, containing two high-speed elevators, then transitions to an antenna mast reaching a height of 216 meters.
The decision to build it was made due to the city’s continued expansion and increasing interference with television signals. The weight of the entire structure is around 2,200 tons and when it’s a clear sky you can see mountains as far as 100 km away. The tower also features 10 giant babies, sculptures by artist David Černý.
Vitkov National Memorial
I think that the National Memorial is a bit of a hidden gem. It’s an interesting building from inside and out and there are definitely a few unexpected surprises waiting for you – the view of Prague from the top of the roof is just one of them!
The National Memorial on Vítkov Hill was built between 1928 and 1938 in honour of Czechoslovak legionnaires who fought in World War I. The memorial was designed by architect Jan Zázvorka and features a statue of Jan Žižka, a Czech general and leader of the Hussites, on horseback in front of the building.
After the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1948, the memorial was used to promote national ideology and the regime. From 1954 to 1962, it housed the mausoleum of Klement Gottwald, the first Communist president of Czechoslovakia.
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Vitkov Hill
Vitkov Hill is a historic hill located in the Žižkov district of Prague 3. The hill is approximately 328 meters high and is one of the highest points in the city.
Vitkov Hill is where one of the most important battles took place during the Hussite Wars -known as the Battle of Vitkov in 1420. The battle was fought between the Hussites, led by Jan Žižka, and the Catholic forces led by King Sigismund. So who won? Let’s just say that they don’t build statues of losers!
You can recognise Vitkov Hill easily because it has a huge statue of Jan Žižka on a horse. There are some great views from the top of the hill and plenty of paths to explore the hill on both sides.
The access to the hill is best from the Zizkov side and if you don’t fancy climbing up the steep hill, you can take tram number 9 to a stop called Ohrada and then walk to the Vitkov monument from the back on a fairly level path (no climbing here!).
I discovered this tram stop recently when I was travelling to the Cherry Orchard at the end of the number 9 tram line and it was a much more civilised walk than walking up the steep steps from Zizkov.
Jan Zizka horse riding statue
The equestrian statue of Jan Žižka on horseback was created by sculptor Bohumil Kafka between 1926 and 1950. The statue was commissioned to commemorate Jan Žižka’s victory over the Crusaders in the Battle of Vítkov Hill in 1420, which was a significant event in Czech history.
The statue, which is made of bronze and stands 9 meters high, was originally intended to be placed in the city centre, but due to its size, it was eventually installed on Vítkov Hill. The statue was unveiled on July 14, 1950, on the 530th anniversary of the Battle of Vítkov Hill.
Farmer’s Market ‘Na Jiraku’
This is one of the most famous Prague farmer’s markets and has enough variety of market stalls to supply you with all you need for a great weekend brunch. The market is held most weekdays (8 am – 6 pm) and Saturdays (8 am – 2 pm) from late February to early December
My favourite stall is a family-run bakery which produces healthy bread as well as gluten-free cakes and bread. I also often pick up fresh eggs, courgettes and salads from a vegetable stall to make an omelette for lunch.
Location: Jiriho z Podebrad (Underground Station or Tram)
The Jiriho (George) from Podebrad Square
This is the best-known square in Zizkov and you can find here the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord, the regular weekday farmer’s markets, plenty of park benches to sit on and independent shops, restaurants and cafes in the houses around the square.
The Skroupovo Square
Skroupovo Square is the only ‘square’ in Prague that’s round! It has a little park in the middle and all the townhouses are built in a circle around it (the houses are also curved). The whole square has a diameter of about 150 metres and it’s named after the Czech composer František Škroup.
The square is famous for being the site of the first officially permitted demonstration of opposition groups during the period of normalization in Czechoslovakia. It took place on December 10, 1988, the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and future president Václav Havel spoke at the event.
Kostnicke Square
This is definitely my favourite square in Zizkov. It’s fairly small, set on two different levels (it kind of slopes a lot) surrounded by pretty 19th-century houses and most importantly, has tall trees in the middle.
I thought that the Montmartre nickname for Zizkov was a bit far-fetched until I spent some time sitting on the park steps, listening to live music and watching people enjoying themselves.
There is a lovely cafe place in the park called ‘Cafe under the trees’, that’s clearly so good, that local people pop in to buy a drink to take back home! (I saw a guy buying a homemade lemonade and quickly disappearing back to a house on the square – I guess it was still during office hours!).
The town hall often organises here free concerts, dancing lessons and programmes for children, so it’s always worth checking what’s on when you go by.
Komenskeho Square
When you visit Komenskeho Square today, you will see a thoughtfully designed park with trees, benches on different levels. The square dominates a large 19-century building (school) and the rest of the square has modern buildings. The recent updates have done a great job in bringing this strange place together, but this is one of the unfortunate examples of the so-called ‘Zizkov sanitation’ clearout.
In 1973, the National Committee of Prague decided to demolish almost the entire, allegedly dilapidated, Žižkov district. Only the church, town hall, school buildings, and a few corner buildings were going to be kept.
The city stopped investing in the renovation of buildings in Žižkov, and as a result, the apartment buildings started to deteriorate. This was exactly what the committee was expecting so they could use it as an excuse to pull down the buildings which were previously built by shopkeepers, small business owners and wealthy Zizkov people (aka all the dreadful capitalists…) and replace them with new socialist modern style apartments.
The demolition of Žižkov was supposed to happen in stages. The first stage included the blocks of buildings around Komenského Square, where only the school building was kept. The school almost didn’t survive either, because as all the houses around got blown up, the building foundations were disturbed.
Fortunately, the communist regime ran out of money in time, and the next stage probably would not have been realized even without the Velvet Revolution in 1989. If you walk away from the square towards the main – Koněvova Street – road, you can still see a large empty space, where the regime managed to pull down the old buildings, but didn’t have the time and money to build the new housing.
Atrium at Zizkov
This is another quite special place – an area where despite the times, an old church building managed to survive and it’s now surrounded by modern buildings creating an interesting space, which is now used as a cultural centre.
The church of St. Cross was originally built in 1717 and was surrounded by a cemetery, originally for the plague victims of the 1680 plague in Prague. By the mid-19th century it was already considered to be unsafe to use and the inside decor was removed to the St. Roch church close to the Olsany cemetery.
There were plans to restore the church, but by the beginning of the 20th century the church accommodation buildings were hosting Zizkov poorest families and the former cemetery (which over the years was disused) was used as a vegetable garden!
A few years later the buildings were in such a bad state that some of them were taken down, including another chapel which stood on what is now ‘Cajkovskeho’ Street. Finally, in the 70s, the church was converted into a concert hall for 120 visitors with a modern extension added to the Baroque foundation, and an exhibition hall located in its eastern wing.
The concert hall offers classical music, folklore, jazz, and world music in the form of evening concerts, a series of Saturday afternoon concerts, as well as programmes for children and younger adults.
You can also just pop in for a coffee and a bite to eat as the little cafe is open every day. My favourite event is the morning yoga in the little park amongst the houses, which is run every Tuesday in the summer – it’s a great way to start the day!
Location: Čajkovského 12, parallel street just behind the Zizkov TV Tower
The Central Phone Exchange Building
I always get excited about old buildings that have an industrial heritage and this amazing yellow building right next to the Zizkov Tower square is no different.
Before we get into why this building is so special, I’ll probably disappoint you by telling you that the building is closed and you can’t go in, but I think it’s still worth mentioning it because you can see it from a fair distance and the two towers are visible whenever you are looking at Zizkov.
The Central Phone Exchange Building was built between 1921-1926 in the Art Deco style based on the design of Bohumír Kozák. The portals on the facade are decorated with sculptures by Ladislav Kofránek.
When the phone exchange was opened in 1927 it was one of the most modern telephone exchanges in the world.
This was because the company equipped the exchange with technical equipment from American companies such as Standard Electric, Bell Telephone, and the German company Siemens & Halske, which all had the most up-to-date equipment at the time.
The exchange employed 350 workers who worked in continuous three-shift operations and serviced eighty-two connection stations and connected up to 500 calls per day. During the first year of operation, the central office handled 6,606,205 minutes of calls.
As part of the sprawling building, there was staff accommodation and service apartments. The original architectural plans also included a swimming pool, but there are no traces of it, and it is likely that it was not realized.
The building also served as a post office and telegraph central office. Over the years, it was modernized in line with technological progress, such as the development of phototelegraphy and radiotelegraphy. In the 1930s, the Technical Institute of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs was located there, which sent a test television signal from the central office between 1936 and 1938.
The exchange was open for nearly 50 years until it was replaced by the new Central Telecommunications Building on Olšanská Street in Zizkov. To transfer all telephone lines, the central office in Fibichova Street was connected to the new complex by a two-kilometre underground collector, which is still in operation.
The underground collector is basically a corridor full of cables and I have read an interview with the staff, who mentioned that an average day just checking the cables involves a walk of around 7 km a day. However, if there is any problem with the cables, this could easily double to 14-15 km a day!
Location: Fibichova Street, across the park from the Zizkov TV tower
Palace Akropolis
Palace Akropolis is another large building you can’t miss and this time round, you can even go in! There is a restaurant, two different theatre halls, jazz club and the programme varies from traditional plays to modern and experimental plays and music too.
The building is the work of architect Rudolf V. Svoboda who built it in 1927. This was his personal project and it was always intended as a large building with rental flats and cultural space on the ground floor.
Most of the permanent residents of the Akropolis Palace came from the upper middle class of Prague society at the time as the apartments were spacious, modern and comfortable. One notable resident was Věra Peiglerová, better known as the writer under her pseudonym Fan Vavřincová, who lived here with her parents.
But, pretty much straight away during the Great Depression, architect Svoboda was forced to sell Akropolis due to financial difficulties. Rather strangely, the palace was purchased by a cremation funeral company and the owners were not really interested in carrying on running the theatre.
During the late 20s and 30s there were efforts to re-invent the theatre as the ‘Prague city theatre’, but unfortunately it was too far from the centre and the Akropolis Palace could never compete with the theatres such as the National Theatre or the Estate Theatre in the centre of Prague.
Location: Kubelikova Street 1548/27, opposite the old telephone exchange building
The Zizkov Town Hall
I was always intrigued by this large corner building, but always passed it, thinking it was just another house. Well, as surprising as this is, the Zizkov town hall is as down to earth as the whole Zizkov district.
The entrance is on the corner and you can’t really see the building properly until you are right in front of it. I think that this is because originally the building was smaller and the entrance was as you’d imagine facing the square. Over the years the town hall got expanded by purchasing nearby houses and the entrance was moved too.
The Zizkov Town Hall was built in a neo-renaissance style between 1889 and 1890 based on the design of architect Jan Šimáček.
The staff moved into the new building later that year and a year later they even received Emperor Franz Joseph. Another famous visitor includes the first Czech Republic president after 1989 Vaclav Havel who got married in the town hall ceremonial room (both times!)
My favourite bit is that downstairs is an amazing exhibition space that tells the story of old Zizkov and there is also a hidden cafe place there.
Access is through the main entrance and then just walk downstairs to the cafe and the exhibition. The exhibition is free to all, so buy a drink when you are there, I’m sure the cafe staff will appreciate it.
Location: The Žižkov Town Hall is located at Havlíčkovo náměstí 9 in Prague-Žižkov.
Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord
The Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord was built between 1928-1932 and is the best example of Czech architecture between WW1 and WWW2 designed by a well-known Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik.
The church was built as the capacity of the St. Ludmila Church on Míru (Peace) Square wasn’t sufficient enough.
The building has a striking design and it’s said that the architect Josip Plečnik was inspired by Noah’s Ark during the design process.
The church has a 42-meter bell tower with a flat copper roof, which is the largest clock in Prague and the Czech Republic. The clock was recently repaired in 2014 and is again showing the correct time.
Inside the church is decorated in a modern style, with the main altar made of white marble. Above the altar, you’ll find a three-meter tall gold gilded figure of Christ, along with statues of six Czech patrons: St. John of Nepomuk, St. Agnes, St. Adalbert, St. Wenceslas, St. Ludmila, and St. Procopius. They are made of lime wood (Czech national symbol is a lime tree) and were created by sculptor Damián Pešan.
Church of St. Prokop
The Church of St. Prokop practically fills the whole of Sladkovskeho Square.
The foundation stone of this church was laid on October 30, 1898, on the site of the chapel of St. John Nepomuk, which was originally built in the Reismonka homestead and vineyard estate. The plans for the construction of a three-nave columned church were drawn up by architects Josef Mocker and František Mikš.
The construction of the church took a full 5 years until the new Neo-Gothic church was finally consecrated on September 27, 1903, by the Prague Archbishop, Cardinal Lev Skrbenský of Hříště, in the presence of the Governor of the Kingdom of Bohemia, Count Ferdinand Karl Coudenhove, and his wife. The first parish priest appointed was Monsignor Eduard Šittler.
Location: Sladkovskeho Namesti
Church of St Roch
The church of St. Roch is another great hidden gem I found in Zizkov. You will find it rather strangely positioned on a corner of a busy road junction with trams and cars zooming by. This is because originally the church had its own accommodation and other buildings around it, which unfortunately were demolished when the town decided to widen the roads.
Don’t miss the original bell-ringing free-standing structure which you can find as you walk around the church. There are also many tombstones placed at the side of the wall, which I’m guessing were originally part of the little graveyard at the church.
The Church of St. Roch is the oldest church in Zizkov and was originally built as a ‘plague church’. In the 1680s the plague epidemic broke out in Prague and the king didn’t want to bury people within the city. This meant that each individual Prague district was required to establish a cemetery outside the city walls for burying their dead.
This is how the different parts of plague cemeteries were established in Olšany – the Old Town, New Town, and Jewish cemeteries (more on these scroll below). The Church of St Roch was built for the newly established cemetery. The consent to start building was given on August 16, 1680, by Prague Archbishop Jan Bedřich of Valdštejn, and the construction was completed on July 27, 1682.
The church was built based on the plans of Jean-Baptiste Mathey, and built by Jan Hainrice. The church is built in Baroque style although because it’s round, people might think that’s older than that (because it looks like a rotunda).
The Church of St. Roch continued to serve as a cemetery church even after proper burials began at the Olšany cemeteries when the plague passed.
Railway walk from the Main Train Station to Zizkov
This is one of my favourite finds in Zizkov – the old railway track that’s now a walking and cycling path, which can take you from the Main Train Station over the old railway bridge and the old railway tunnel to the Krejcarek Park.
The Prague branch of the Turnov-Kralupy-Prague railway, called the old Vítkovská Railway was built in 1872 and has been used until 2008 when part of the railway was relocated to the northern side of the hill (you can see the new tunnels as you walk through the old railway tunnel on the path).
When you walk on the path, you can start to understand that people living in Zizkov had a bit of a love-and-hate relationship with the railway.
The track ran so close to the houses, that people were reminiscing how all the crockery was chiming in the cupboards when the train went past. Considering that the steam trains were still running on the train tracks until the 1980’s, it must have been pretty dirty as well as noisy living right next to the tracks.
As you walk on the path you can stop for refreshments at many places that are accessible directly from the path (don’t miss the famous bar ‘U Vystrelenyho Oka’), there is also a children’s playground set out as a railway station and super cool ground trampolines for everyone, which I can never resist when I walk by.
Karlin – Zizkov Tunel
The Karlin tunnel is a great shortcut to Karlin district from Zizkov (my favourite tip – you will walk down the hill if you choose to walk from Zizkov to Karlin). The tunnel is about 300 metres long and it is open to pedestrians, cyclists and you can also see people on electric scooters and inline skates. There is a sign to notify the cyclist to dismount when they enter the tunnel, but most don’t so watch out for bikes going really fast from Zizkov down to Karlin.
If you continue your walk in Karlin you will discover another fun district of Prague, full of independent shops, cafes, restaurants and quiet streets with tall trees.
Parukarka Park
Parukarka Park is located on Holy Cross Hill which has an altitude of 276 m. Originally the whole hill was covered with vineyards founded by Emperor Charles IV. in the 14th century. The hill was most likely named after a wooden cross, which was placed at the top of the hill in 1822.
The park is called ‘Parukarka’ (the ‘Wig’ ) probably because one of the local houses was purchased by Jan Hrabanek, a well-known Prague wigmaker.
There are great views of Prague from the top of the hill. You’ll also find refreshment stalls, pub, a children’s playground and a cold war bunker there!
Location: you can walk up from several places – Olsanske Namesti (tram stop 9) takes you straight to the beer garden and the bunker or Biskupcova (tram stop 10) slightly longer walk from the top/back of the park
Cold war Bunker Bezovka
It’s not difficult to find signs of the cold war bunker around the park – the two ventilation towers are easily spotted on the top of the hill (they are not really towers…) and the entrance next to the steps that lead to the Olsanske Namesti is not completely hidden either.
What’s more complicated is to actually get inside. The tours are held a few days a month and you have to register in advance via e-mail. It’s worth checking out the dates before you travel to Prague, in case it’s something you like to see and you can pre-book your visit.
The Bezovka nuclear shelter is a complex located underground in Parukářka Park.
The Bezovka shelter is part of the integrated civil defence system in the Czech Republic and, following the Prague Metro system is the largest shelter in terms of capacity.
It was built between 1950 and 1955 and was designed to shelter approximately 5,000 people. The shelter is accessed by a series of five entrance tunnels and two ventilation towers that can also be used as emergency exits.
The complex is equipped with its own sources of electricity, water, and air conditioning. A portion of the shelter is constantly kept ready for use. Today, the shelter can still accommodate up to 2,500 people.
Location: Parukarka Park
Army Museum
The Army Museum is under Zizkov Vitkov Hill where you can also find the warrior Jan Zizka riding on a horse statue that’s visible from most parts of Prague.
The museum was opened to the public in 1932 and went through a complete reconstruction from 2018 to 2022 with new exhibitions added. The museum exhibitions map out the military history of Czech territory in seven separate parts from the beginning until today.
The exhibition area covers an impressive 5,000 square metres on four floors, with over 7,000 exhibits displayed in nearly 300 display cabinets and there are some interactive displays too.
The museum has a lovely cafe a the top floor with an outdoor terrace, where you can see the historic centre of Prague and Prague Castle. The museum is open every day, apart from Monday and is completely free to enter.
Location – From the outside the Florenc Main Bus stop – at the underground metro station Florenc (lines C a B) take bus numbers 133, 175 or 207 and get off at the stop U Památníku. You can also take bus number 175 to the same stop from the underground stop Flora on line A.
Old Jewish Cemetery at Zizkov
The cemetery was founded in 1680 during a major plague epidemic as a burial ground for the Prague Jewish community. During the 10-month epidemic, about 3,000 people from the Prague ghetto were buried there. Additional burials took place during the plague epidemic of 1713-1714, during wartime events in 1742-1743, and during the exodus of Jews from Prague in 1747-1750.
When Emperor Joseph II banned “burials in old cemeteries inside city centres for hygienic reasons” in 1787, this local cemetery in Zizkov became the central Jewish cemetery in Prague. Because of that the cemetery had to be expanded.
The first expansion took place in 1787, and another in 1855. During this time the cemetery grew from its original 427 m2 to almost five times its size, doubling the area of the old Jewish cemetery in Josefov in central Prague. In 1884, when the Žižkov community banned further burials, the cemetery covered an area between 21,601 and 28,000 m2.
The burials were officially stopped, but they were not discontinued until the end of June 1890, when the New Jewish Cemetery at Olšany was ready to take over. By then, a total of 37,800 people were buried here.
In the 1960s the town council decided to turn the cemetery into a park as they built new housing around the area. At that time a large part of the cemetery wall was demolished, tombstones were overturned and buried with soil, and about three-quarters of the cemetery was converted into a public park – Mahlerovy sady.
Only the oldest part of the cemetery with the most valuable tombstones was preserved. Part of the cemetery was irreversibly devastated between 1985 and 1986 during the excavation of the foundations for the construction of the Žižkov Tower.
During the construction, graves and tombstones were destroyed and removed to a landfill, which went against the previous agreement between the Prague Jewish community and town council monument conservators. Some of the remains were relocated to the New Jewish Cemetery in Olšany.
After 1999, the area underwent reconstruction and the cemetery was opened to the public at the end of 2001. The opening hours are currently three days a week and the entrance is free. You can also see most of the cemetery from beyond the iron fence, if you arrive and the gates are closed.
Location: Fibichova 2818, 130 00 Prague 3-Žižkov
How to get there: the nearest underground station is Jiriho z Podebrad and then about 15 minutes walk. Nearest tram stop (which is still about 10 minutes walk) is Olsanske Namesti on tram lines 1, 5, 9, 15, 17 or trams that go to Jiriho z Podebrad (tram line 1, 11, 13)
Olsany Cemetery
The largest cemetery in Prague is the Olsany Cemetery. It’s very peaceful there and the old part of the cemetery has some amazing headstones set amongst tall trees, woodland shrubs and grassy paths.
I’ve spent a good couple of hours walking around all the different parts of the cemetery and I’ve still not seen everything. One other thing you might see there and very much alive are red squirrels as they hop between the graves.
The Olsany cemetery is the largest burial ground in Prague, covering fifty hectares. The oldest part, Cemetery No. 1, was founded after 1679 on the site of a large garden that its owner, Jakub Štika from the Olšany village, sold to the Old Town community so that they could bury victims of the plague there.
Along with the plague cemetery, a chapel was also built and dedicated to the saint patrons St. Roch, St. Sebastian, and St. Rosalia to protect people against the plague.
In addition to ordinary citizens, many important figures of social and cultural life are buried at the Olsany cemetery. There is an educational trail and display boards that take you through the most important parts of the cemetery, but you can also just wander around and the most important graves are marked with little introduction text.
You can visit the graves of Josef Jungmann (writer), František Čelakovský (writer), playwright Ladislav Stroupežnický, mathematician Bernard Bolzano, Josef Lada (illustrator), Jaroslav Ježek (musician), or Voskovec and Werich (comedy partners, actors & playwright).
Once you cross the main road to the newer part of the cemetery, you can also walk through the orthodox part of the cemetery with a beautifully painted chapel. The other side of this part of the cemetery is dedicated to soldiers who died fighting in the first and second world war.
Location: Vinohradská 1835/153, 130 00 Prague 3, Zizkov
How to get there: One option is to take tram number 5, 9, or 26 to the Lipanská stop, which is located near the cemetery. Another option is to take underground line A to the Želivského stop, which is also located near the cemetery.
Where to eat and drink in Zizkov
There are so many wonderful places to eat and drink – no matter which restaurant, pub or coffee place you choose, you can’t usually go wrong. There are plenty of independent restaurants, and traditional self-service canteens and you can also get fresh produce at the farmer’s market at the Jiriho z Podebrad Square.
As you can see I’m more of a coffee person than an eating out sort of person, but my favourite places include:
- Zmrzku Hned! – Seifertova 36
- U Vystrelenyho Oka – U Božích bojovníků 606/3
- Kavarna pod Korunami Stromu – Kostnické nám., 130 00 Praha 3-Žižkov
- Mamacoffee – Namesti Jiriho z Poděbrad 12
How to get to Zizkov from the centre of Prague
There are a couple of tram lines you can take to get to the different sides of Zizkov from the centre of Prague.
You can get tram lines 11 and 13 from the Museum Underground station (top of the long Prague Wenceslas Square beyond the main building of the Museum) or I.P. Pavlova tram and underground station.
The trams number 11 and 13 will take you to the Jiriho z Podebrad square, where you can start your walk.
Alternatively, you can also get number 9 or 15 from the Main Train Station or Wenceslas Square, Narodni or Ujezd (as you come down from the Petrin Lookout Tower on the top of the Petrin Hill).
The nearest underground station is Jiriho z Podebrad on line C or Flora on line C (which is just a little further up the hill than Jiriho z Podebrad. The main underground station at Jiriho z Podebrad is going through a period of long upgrades and it’s currently closed until the end of 2023.
MORE ABOUT HOW TO TRAVEL AROUND PRAGUE
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This blog post was originally written on 11 July 2023 and last updated on 11 July 2023