Hunger Wall

An Impressive and Historical Hidden Sight

The Hunger Wall must have the best name of all hidden Prague sights. When you hear it, you just know there's a story behind it.

The story goes something like this...

Charles IV ordered the building of a wall to serve Prague as fortification to parts of the city including Prague Castle. His proposal coincided with a famine that had plagued the city for around 1360. prague sights hunger wall

But, the wall served as a place to find work and money to eventually feed many residents. And, locals turned the project into a bit of a myth, considering it a direct job for the people as opposed to an actual fortification. Hence, the name - Hladová zeď (The Hunger Wall).

The creation of the myth and wall only bolstered the popular view of Charles IV as a man of the people.

Also, the wall was built around the same time Charles commissioned what's now known today as Charles Bridge. The bridge replaced the flood destroyed original Judith Bridge and connected both sides of the city for the first time in years.

And, to be honest, the wall itself is huge, so it's not quite "hidden," but it's certainly overlooked due to the number of main Prague attractions in other places.

The wall stretches from the gate of Strahov Monastery all the way across Petrin hill and down nearly to the base of Ujezd.

Where Is It?

The wall is an obvious sight of Petrin - the large obvious park that covers the hill above Mala Strana. You can see the wall from a variety of places in the city.

Here are a few starting points:

Go to Ujezd tram stop and take the funicular up to the top of Petrin. The sandstone wall cross the hill at the top.

Climb the tower of St. Nicholas' Church in Mala Strana for impressive views of the wall and the whole city.

Take the 22 tram to Pohorelec and walk up the hill to the gate of Strahov Monastery. This is a great way to see the wall up close since you can follow it up and over Petrin.

prague sights hunger wall