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The Islands of Prague: Střelecký ostrov (Shooters Island)

July 4, 2019 By Dana Leave a Comment

Střelecký ostrov (Shooters Island) is one of several islands on the Vltava River in Prague. Locals come here to relax, have a picnic or attend an outdoor event. If you’d like to get away from the noise of the city, this is a place to consider. On hot summer days, you’ll enjoy cooling off in the shade of magnificent trees. You can sit on a bench and watch boats go by. You can have a bite to eat or get a pint of beer at one of the outdoor stands. Kids will enjoy watching the swans and ducks on the river, running around or spending time at the playground. In the fall, the leaves on the trees change color and the scenery is breathtaking.

A view towards the Lesser Town Embankment
A view towards the Lesser Town Embankment
A path with benches and river access
A path with benches and river access
One of the food stands on Střelecký ostrov
One of the food stands on Střelecký ostrov

Why Shooters Island?

Are you wondering where Shooters Island got its name? It is actually a reminder of the purpose it served throughout history. Under Charles IV, long bow and crossbow shooters had the privilege of training here. Shooting competitions were held on the island from the 15th century. Thanks to the island’s strategic position within the city, shooters stationed there were able to defend the Old Town against enemy armies in the 17th and 18th centuries.

A view towards the Smetana Embankment on the Old Town side
A view towards the Smetana Embankment on the Old Town side
The National Theatre and Smetana Embankment from Shooters Island
The National Theatre and Smetana Embankment from Shooters Island

Getting There

You can access Střelecký ostrov easily from the Legion Bridge (most Legií). It’s the one that leads from the National Theatre on the Old Town side of the river to Újezd and the Petřín foothills on the Lesser Town side. To reach the island, walk about halfway across the bridge. You’ll then have two options of getting down to the island: descend a staircase or take an elevator. Walking from the National Theatre, the stairs are on the left side of the bridge and the elevator’s on the right. If you need the elevator, you may want to plan ahead and start your walk on the correct side of the bridge. That way you won’t have to cross the relatively busy street and tram tracks later.

Stairs going down to Střelecký ostrov
Stairs going down to Střelecký ostrov
Elevator between the island and street level
Elevator between the island and street level
On Legion Bridge (most Legií) looking towards the Old Town
On Legion Bridge (most Legií) looking towards the Old Town
On Legion Bridge looking towards Lesser Town
On Legion Bridge looking towards Lesser Town

The New Town Hall Tower

June 26, 2019 By Dana 2 Comments

Did you know that you can climb the New Town Hall tower on Karlovo náměstí? You can get a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. The tower is open Tuesday to Sunday from spring through fall. There are 221 steps leading to the viewing area. You can also visit the tiny quarters where the tower watchman used to live. His task was to watch for any fires in the city and sound a warning bell in case a fire was spotted. The rooms are not preserved in the original condition but house a permanent exhibition on the history of the New Town.

Here are some views from the tower:

While visiting the tower or even if you’re just passing by, stop by the eastern facade and look for a metal rod attached to the wall. This is the standard measurement for the Czech or rather Prague cubit. It is called loket in Czech, which means “elbow”. The loket was a measuring unit introduced by Czech king Přemysl Otakar II in 1268. It is 59.3 cm long and is supposed to represent the distance from the elbow to the fingertips. The metal rod was placed on the wall of the New Town Hall in 1760. Merchants used it as an exact measurement guide until the 19th century.

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