František Palacký

The monument to František Palacký from 1912 is a dominant feature of Palacký náměstí on the northern bridgehead of Palacký bridge in Prague 2. At the time of its creation, it symbolized the successful emancipation of the Czech nation and its path to statehood.

František Palacký was a Czech historian and politician and was the most influential person of the Czech National Revival. Palacký is considered as one of the three “Fathers of the Nation”, alongside Charles IV and Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. His portrait now resides on the 1000 CZK banknote.

Palacký náměstí, the square in which the monument sits, is nicknamed Prague Hyde Park as it is the only place in the country which allows public assemblies without prior notice. The square was created during the expansion of Podskalí, a medieval lumberjack village. The village even used to compete with the Old Town in selling wood for a long time. It was also known because of the first public transport route of the Prague Horse Railroad between the Jirásek and Palacky squares in 1883.

Take a left in front of the statue, past the Palackého náměstí tram stop, and walk straight. Just past the tram stop, cross the street and turn right to continue down the street. The next destination will be further down.