The National Memorial in Vítkov : a glorious and spectacular view of Prague

In Prague, Czech Republic, climbing Vítkov Hill to the National Memorial, one discovers a place steeped in history and emotion. Built in the 1930s to honor the Czechoslovak legionnaires who fell in combat during the First World War, the monument impresses with its size and austere majesty.

Under the communist regime, it was transformed into a mausoleum for Klement Gottwald, the first Czechoslovak president of that period, whose embalmed body was displayed to the public, like that of Lenin in Moscow.

After the 1989 Revolution, the site regained its symbolic purpose and now houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

From the terrace, the view of Prague, the « city of a hundred spires, » is one of the most spectacular.

Inside, one can admire the functionalist style of the imposing reception hall, a typical example of the architecture of the period (1929).

On the esplanade stands the monumental equestrian statue of Jan Žižka, one of the largest bronzes in the world.

A Hussite warlord and national hero, he led the resistance against imperial power and the Church in the 15th century.