Vinohrady

Vinohrady (in English literally 'vineyards', formerly Královské Vinohrady) is a cadastral district in Prague. It gains its name from the fact that the area was once covered in vineyards dating from the 14th century. Vinohrady lies in the municipal and administrative districts of Prague 2, Prague 3 and Prague 10. From 1867 to 1968, it was known as Královské Vinohrady ('Royal Vineyards'). In 1922, Vinohrady became part of Prague. Because it was known as a 'bourgeois' district and thus politically unreliable, the then-ruling Communists split Vinohrady into different municipal districts in 1949.

The two main squares are Náměstí Jiřího z Podébrad and Náméstí Míru. As of 2007 Náméstí Míru is the deepest station of the Prague Metro. Its platform is situated 53 metres below surface. As a consequence the station is equipped with one of the longest escalators in Europe (length 87 m, vertical span 43 m, 533 steps, taking 2 minutes and 15 seconds to ascend or descend without walking). Náméstí Míru, however, is not the deepest point within the Prague Metro network.


Náměstí Jiřího z Podébrad

Jiřího z Podébrad is the other metro stop in Vinohrady. At the beginning of the Radiohead song 'A Reminder', the female voice of the Metro's automated announcement system can be heard announcing this station.

Havlíčkovy Sady (literally Havlíček's Orchards), Prague's second-largest park, is located in this district. There is a productive vineyard in operation in Gröbovka Park, located next to Havlíčkovy Sady.

Most of its grand Neo-Renaissance, Art Nouveau, Pseudo Baroque, and Neo-Gothic buildings come from the second half of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century, and many have been and continue to be restored in an amazing array of color and architectural detail.

Vinohrady is approximately defined by the Riegrovy sady park on the north, Havlíčkovy sady park on the south, Legerova street on the west, and Jiřího z Poděbrad square on the east, from there continuing east between Vinohradská and Ruská streets all the way to the Vinohrady Cemetery. Famous Czech artists like Jakub Schikaneder, Otto Gutfreund, Hugo Boettinger and Karel Špillar are buried here.