Park of National Awakening

Park of National Awakening is a small, easy-to-miss green pocket in Prague's Old Town, tucked along Smetana Embankment between Legion Bridge and Charles Bridge. Most visitors walk straight past it on their way to the river, yet at its heart stands one of the city's odder landmarks: Kranner's Fountain, a towering neo-Gothic structure that doubles as a monument.

Where does the park's name come from?

The name refers to the Czech National Revival, the 19th-century movement that revived Czech language and cultural identity within the Habsburg monarchy. The park itself took shape when Smetana Embankment was reworked in the 1840s, placing its creation squarely within that revival period.

What makes Kranner's Fountain worth a stop?

The fountain is the park's centerpiece — a roughly 29-metre-tall structure that combines a working fountain with a monument to Emperor Francis I. It was designed by architect Josef Ondřej Kranner, who also worked on completing St. Vitus Cathedral, with sculptural work by Josef Max. Construction ran through the second half of the 1840s, and the finished monument was unveiled on 30 May 1850.

Stylistically it leans fully into neo-Gothic drama: four pointed arches, a slender spire, and a dense cluster of pinnacles give it the silhouette of a cathedral chapel rather than a typical civic monument. Around the central equestrian figure of the emperor, allegorical statues represent the historic Bohemian lands alongside fields such as industry, agriculture, art, trade, mining, and science.

Why did the emperor's statue disappear and later return?

The fountain's fate tracks the region's political turns. In 1919, amid the wave of national liberation following the collapse of Austria-Hungary, the statue of Francis I was taken down; the original now sits in the lapidarium of the National Museum. For decades the fountain stood incomplete, its water shut off. A faithful copy of the statue was finally reinstalled in 2003, and the water feature was switched back on at the same time — restoring the monument to something close to its original appearance.

What does the park look like today?

The surrounding greenery reflects a 1993 renovation that replanted and tidied the grounds, followed in 1996 by a cast-iron fence that gave the small park a more formal, enclosed feel. Sitting right beside the Vltava embankment, it slots naturally into a riverside walk with views toward the bridges nearby.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Park of National Awakening? In Prague's Old Town, along Smetana Embankment, between Legion Bridge and Charles Bridge.

What's the main thing to see there besides the greenery? Kranner's Fountain — a 29-metre neo-Gothic monument combining a fountain with a statue of Emperor Francis I.

Is the statue on the fountain original? No. It's a 2003 replica; the original, removed in 1919, is preserved in the National Museum's lapidarium.

When was the fountain built? Construction took place in the second half of the 1840s, with the official unveiling on 30 May 1850.

Is the park worth a short stop while exploring the Old Town? Yes — its compact size and riverside location make it a convenient pause on the walk between Charles Bridge and the Old Town center.