Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Midas Tümülüsü (Tumulus MM)
The Devil's Column
Weightlifting Hall of Fame
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Czechia Prague Prague Metronome

Prague Metronome

Steadily reminding Czechia of its past.

Prague, Czechia

Added By
Alex Timian
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The Prague Metronome slicing through summer skies. (Macskafaraok/Flickr)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/macskafarok/5...
Stalin’s monument before its destruction in 1962. (nickhul/Flickrl)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/86809087@N00/...
Skaters ride in the shadow of the metronome. (soleir/Flickr)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/soleir/497986...
Towering over a bridge on the Charles. (33149441/Flickr)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/33149441@N06/...
Metronome bedecked in the flag of the European Union. (rcooper/Flickr)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcooper/33988...
The plaza behind the metronome. (tedbassman/Flickr)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/tedbassman/51...
Prague Metronome  
Prague Metronome and shoes hanging on the rope  
Random finds in my neighbourhood!   freyjavansiren / Atlas Obscura User
Sometimes there are shoes…sometimes there are none.   freyjavansiren / Atlas Obscura User
  mocchiatto / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
  AURELIEN / Atlas Obscura User
  Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Prague Metronome and shoes hanging on the rope  
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Czechia is a state still in its infancy. It has only been twenty years since the Velvet Revolution peacefully ended communism and split Slovakia from the Czechia. Despite the bloodless divide, the time under Soviet communism is still burned into the minds of many Czechs and Slovaks, and in Prague, a constant reminder ticks away every day over the Bohemian capitol.

In 1991, Vratislav Novák designed and constructed a massive metronome on Letna Hill in Prague. Although the area is better known for its vibrant beer garden overlooking the river, Novák erected a permanent reminder in the area to memorialize the Czech struggles under communism.

Cutting a wide path, the hand of the red metronome is over 75 feet long and is easily visible from the city and bridges below. While the metronome itself symbolizes the long struggle against Soviet control, the location of the metronome is a symbol as well.

Prior to the metronome’s construction, the site atop Letna Hill was home to the largest statue of Stalin in the world. For seven years, a 17,000-ton statue of the Soviet strongman loomed over Prague, watching every move of the citizenry and quietly keeping control over the Soviet satellite.

After his death, Nikita Khrushchev took control of the Soviet Union and distanced himself from Stalin. In a symbolic act of the changing of the guard, Khrushchev ordered the destruction of the statue by dynamite, blasting the former dictator off of his perch over Prague. The explosion of Stalin’s statue led to rejoicing in the streets, along with another 30 years of communism in Czechoslovakia.

The metronome is a steady reminder of the legacy left by Stalin and communism in Prague. It is still flanked by two unlit torches, the only remnant of the statue that once existed there. Today, the area around the metronome is visited by tourists and used by many locals for skateboarding and picnics in the nearby park and beer garden. The area provides some of the best views of one of Europe’s most charming cities.

Related Tags

Architectural Oddities Ruins Outsider Architecture Architecture

Know Before You Go

The metronome can be reached via the Malostranska metro stop and the tram stop Chechuv Most.

Community Contributors

Added By

atimian

Edited By

gmgalasso61, Sebastian Wortys, vaclavsulista, Jaszmina Szendrey...

  • gmgalasso61
  • Sebastian Wortys
  • vaclavsulista
  • Jaszmina Szendrey
  • rbenn250
  • freyjavansiren
  • AURELIEN
  • mocchiatto

Published

June 22, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • Nelso.com: Prague Metronome: http://www.nelso.com/cz/place/236232/
  • Wikipedia: Prague Metronome: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Metronome
  • Cezky Rozhlas: World's Biggest Stalin Monument Would Have Turned 50 on May Day: http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/worlds-biggest-stalin-monument-would-have-turned-50-on-may-day
  • www.go-czechia.com
Prague Metronome
Nábřeží Edvarda Beneš
Prague
Czechia
50.09473, 14.416004
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Old New Synagogue

Prague, Czechia

miles away

Old Jewish Cemetery

Prague, Czechia

miles away

Statue of Franz Kafka

Prague, Czechia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Prague

Prague

Czechia

Places 82

Nearby Places

Old New Synagogue

Prague, Czechia

miles away

Old Jewish Cemetery

Prague, Czechia

miles away

Statue of Franz Kafka

Prague, Czechia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Prague

Prague

Czechia

Places 82

Related Stories and Lists

Meet the Photographer Hunting for the Scars of Soviet Rule

statues

By Kerry Folan

Related Places

  • Golubac, Serbia

    Golubac Fortress

    This 14th century castle withstood years of battle but is now sliding off the hills into the Danube.

  • The hypocenter and surrounding devastation immediately after the detonation of the bomb

    Hiroshima, Japan

    Hiroshima's Hypocenter

    A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

  • Concrete building at the abandoned Murphy Ranch.

    Los Angeles, California

    Rustic Canyon's Murphy Ranch

    World War II-era Nazi compound nestled in the Santa Monica hills.

  • (Flickr/ynwa2005)

    Jiangmen, China

    Kaiping Dialous

    Massive fortified towers blend North American and Chinese architecture.

  • Reserve Jangal Masrur Joni-I, India

    Masrur Temple

    15 monolithic temples emulate an eroding sand castle.

  • The town of Visoko in 1973 with the “Pyramid of the Sun” in the background. (Wikimedia Commons)

    Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Visočia, the Bosnian Pyramid of Visoko

    Controversial site of what could be Europe's first pyramid.

  • East Haddam, Connecticut

    Gillette Castle State Park

    Quirky castle designed by the American actor best known for portraying Sherlock Holmes on stage.

  • Lower level view 3

    Athens, Greece

    Valerian Wall at Niche Hotel

    The ruins of an ancient fortification wall sit in front of and underneath this boutique hotel.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.