While walking along the New Town in Prague you may notice a beautiful gothic Jindrisska Tower. A lot of tourists don’t imagine that it is a famous entertainment point. Despite being right in front of you at the same time it is hidden.
Historical notes
The tower itself was built in 1472 – 1475 beside the Church of St. Henry and Cunigunde and worked as a belfry of these two churches. In 1577 the tower clock was added to the front of the building.
In 1648 during Swedish siege of Prague the tower was used as a defense construction and underwent big damages. After the fire in 1745 the belfry was rebuilt in Baroque style. In 1801 a big storm broke the high Gothic roof of the Tower.
Only in 1878 – 1880 the city government made a decision to reconstruct the building in full.
First of all it got its original Gothic appearance. The new chisel shaped roof and new clock were fixed. Along both sides of the clock-face there are emblems of New and Old Towns as well as the lands of Czech Republic.
Bells
The Jindrisska Tower has three bells. The oldest one is Maria, it weights 500 kilograms and dates back to 1518. The second one is Henry or Jindřich in Czech while it is the heaviest bell on the tower. The total weight is 3500 kilograms and it was made in 1680. And the third is Dominic which weighs 1000 kilograms.
Jindrisska Tower today
At present time Jindrisska Tower is one of the centers of Prague cultural life. It has 200 steps that lead to the very top of the building.
Besides, you can use an elevator to reach the top.
On the ground floor there are a café and a booking office. On the first floor you can visit different exhibitions. The second and third floors attract lovers of night life, because there are some disco clubs. On the 5th floor is an exhibition of Prague towers, “Tribute to Jindrisska Tower” and a souvenir shop.
On the 6th and 7th floors works a stylish restaurant called “Belfry”. Finally on the 9th floor there is a viewing point. There tourists enjoy an amazing view over Prague as well as unique concerts of bells music.
From May dozens of assonant bells are chiming that creates an atmosphere of medieval period. The repertoire counts more than 1100 melodies, but you could listen to only one per day. Such a concert is unrivaled throughout the world.
The concert starts according to a timetable: at 10 a.m. 12 p.m. 3 p.m. 6 p.m.
Tip: If you want to hear a melody, pay 0.50 Euro and enjoy it anytime!
How to get there
Jindrisska Tower is in a walking distance from the Wenceslas Square. You can get there by tram (3, 5, 6, 9, 14, 24, 41) to Jindrisska station. Or you could get metro green line A or yellow line B (Mustek), or red line C (Muzeum).
Work hours
- April – October: Monday – Friday – 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Saturday – Sunday – 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- November – March: Monday – Friday – 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Saturday – Sunday – 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
The restaurant works till midnight.
Entrance fee
- Adults: 110 CZK
- Students: 70 CZK
- Children 6 – 15 y.o: 40 CZK
- Family (max. 2 adults, 2 children): 290 CZK
- Children under 6: for free
Here is the video with panoramic view from the Jindrisska Tower:
Tour
As you can see some interesting and unique places are hiding from a common tourist. But we offer you Tours with Local Guide where you can discover unbeaten routes around Prague! This is a chance to get the maximum out of your time in the Czech capital.
