Petrovice

Petrovice is a district and self-governing municipal part of Prague, located on the eastern edge of the city and administratively tied to Prague 10 since 1968, functioning as its own municipal unit since 1990. While most visitors know it today as a residential district anchored by a metro terminus, its heart still hides the historic core of an old village.

How to get there?

Petrovice sit on the eastern edge of Prague, close to the city ring road and the highway leading toward Brno. The easiest way to reach the district is via metro line B, which terminates at Petrovice station, making it well connected both to the city center and to routes heading further east across the country. From central Prague, the ride typically takes no more than 20–25 minutes.

What will you see?

Petrovice was first mentioned in written sources in 1352, though the settlement itself is older, with roots tracing back to the 14th century. Ownership changed hands repeatedly over the centuries: until 1399 the estate belonged to the Klementer family, when Anna Klementerová brought it as a dowry to her husband, Johánek Kbelský. The village's real golden age, however, came after 1716, when the property passed to František Karel Peceli of Adlersheim, who initiated most of the developments still visible today.

The historic core of the old village survives to this day, picturesquely arranged on a hillside. It includes a church, a manor house, a farmstead, and remnants of a former brewery — a layout typical of villages on Prague's outskirts before the area was absorbed into the growing metropolis. The new owner who took charge after 1716 had the church renovated and its interior decorated with frescoes covering almost the entire wall surface; fragments of these paintings can still be seen inside today, making the church one of Prague's lesser-known but noteworthy sacred landmarks.

Look out for the coat of arms of the Klementer family, which — with only minor changes — became the official emblem of the modern municipal district of Prague-Petrovice. It's a rare case of medieval noble heraldry surviving intact in the crest of a contemporary administrative unit within a major European capital.

A brief history

The story of Petrovice follows a pattern familiar to many villages on Prague's edges: a succession of noble owners followed by gradual absorption into the expanding city. The village became an independent municipality only in 1920, before being incorporated into the Prague 10 district in 1968, and finally becoming its own municipal part in 1990 — complete with its own administration, coat of arms, and local identity, despite sitting in the shadow of high-rise housing estates nearby.

When to visit?

Petrovice is best visited during the day, when the church interior with its surviving frescoes can be seen. Since it's primarily a residential area rather than a conventional tourist attraction, it works well as a stop when exploring eastern Prague more broadly, or as a quick detour on the way out of the city toward the east of the country.

Frequently asked questions

What is Petrovice today? It's a municipal part and cadastral district of Prague on the city's eastern edge, part of the Prague 10 area, with a preserved historic village core.

How old is the settlement of Petrovice? It was first recorded in 1352, though the village itself is older, with origins in the 14th century.

What can you see in the historic center? The preserved layout of the old village, including a church, manor house, farmstead, and brewery remains, plus fragments of Baroque frescoes inside the church.

Where does the district's coat of arms come from? It derives from the coat of arms of the Klementer family, former owners of the estate, adopted almost unchanged as the emblem of today's municipal district.