Petrin Lookout Tower and New Year's night fireworks

January 1, 2014
After a very lazy day of catching up on sleep we finally headed out just as the sun was setting around 4pm.  Nowhere has 'burning day light' meant more than our time in Sweden...  Prague had two more hours of daylight than Stockholm and it was nice! 

We took the funicular to the top of the hill to see the Petrin Lookout Tower.  Note to visitors:  you need change (as in coins) to buy funicular tickets from the self-serve stations inside the entrance (if you have regular metro/tram transport tickets they will work too).  The funicular cars run every 15 minutes (Nov.-March, every 10 minutes the rest of the year).  If you are going to the Petrin Tower and/or mirror maze do not be fooled by the midway stop at Nebozizek along the way!

Petrin Lookout Tower is at the top of one of Prague's largest parks.  The 62 meter tall Eiffel Tower look-alike was built in 1891 for the Prague Exposition (so was the funicular).  Yes, we climbed the 299 steps to an amazing view of Prague Castle and the rest of the city at night.  The girls immediately made the connection between climbing the tower and the movie Vertigo from the night before... just a coincidence (and no one fell off the tower)!

taking a break on the way up

Prague Castle from the top of Petrin Lookout Tower - 5pm

Afterwards we took a path down to the Strahovska zahrada (garden/park) to watch the 'official' New Year's fireworks put on by the city at 6pm.  It was the quietest fireworks show I've ever been to.  No 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the crowd... just a polite clapping at the end of the show.  (Yes, I did think of you, John Dameron!)

Prague Castle on the left

Before heading back to the apartment the girls took a moment to play on the seesaw in the small park.