The Žižkov Television tower is Prague’s most disliked and highest structure, standing at seven hundred and nine feet (two hundred and sixteen metres) tall. Up close, it is an imposing, post-modern style of architectural design characterised by the disturbing image of numerous giant baby statues making their way up to its’ sides, crafted by the designer David Černý.
Starting in the 1970s, to jamming Western German TV transmissions, this tower has only been completely operational since the 1990s. While building it, the Communists decided to destroy some of a local Jewish graveyard that had featured in the locale from 1787 to 1891; in the northwest of this tower, however, a smaller part of this graveyard still survives.
The 3 pods situated directly underneath the tower’s top decks are utilized for apparatus relating to the structure’s main purpose and are not accessible to the general public. The 6 pods that are left are accessible to tourists, and the tallest of these has observation areas at three hundred and twenty-eight feet (one hundred metres), offering breathtaking views of Prague and its’ surrounding areas.
To reach this tower, catch the underground train to Jiřího z Poděbrad, then walk northeast for two blocks – it is hard not to see it. www.tower.cz
