{"id":7884,"date":"2025-05-08T13:06:24","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T17:06:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cawp-admin.fareportal.com\/getting-there\/?p=7884"},"modified":"2025-05-08T13:06:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T17:06:24","slug":"offbeat-travel-the-baby-sculptures-on-the-zizkov-television-tower-in-prague","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/offbeat-travel-the-baby-sculptures-on-the-zizkov-television-tower-in-prague\/","title":{"rendered":"Offbeat Travel: The Baby Sculptures on the \u017di\u017ekov Television Tower in Prague"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Rising above the skyline of Prague, the \u017di\u017ekov Television Tower is one of the city&#8217;s most striking and unconventional landmarks &#8212; not just for its futuristic, almost alien design, but for the surreal baby sculptures crawling up and down its structure. These larger-than-life figures, each a faceless infant in mid-climb, are the work of controversial Czech artist David \u010cern\u00fd, whose provocative approach to public art has made him both celebrated and divisive.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7892 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/cawp-admin.fareportal.com\/getting-there\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2305079309-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"419\" height=\"559\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2305079309-2.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2305079309-2-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 419px) 100vw, 419px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Installed in 2000 as a temporary exhibit, the \u201cBabies\u201d quickly captured the imagination and curiosity of locals and tourists alike, resulting in their permanent reinstatement in 2001. Today, they are as much a part of Prague\u2019s eclectic character as its medieval castles and baroque churches.<\/p>\n<p>The \u017di\u017ekov Television Tower itself, located in the \u017di\u017ekov district &#8212; just east of Prague\u2019s historic center &#8212; is often described as one of the most unusual buildings in the world. Built between 1985 and 1992 by the communist government, the tower was initially disliked by many Prague residents, who viewed it as an eyesore and a symbol of the oppressive regime. At 216 meters tall, it was originally intended purely for telecommunications, but over time it has taken on a broader identity with the help of creative tweaks like \u010cern\u00fd\u2019s sculptures. The addition of the Babies transformed perceptions of the tower, blending cold modernism with a touch of whimsy and absurdity that speaks to Prague\u2019s complex cultural evolution.<\/p>\n<p>David \u010cern\u00fd, known for challenging political narratives and societal norms through art, designed the ten fiberglass baby sculptures with puckered, barcode-like slits where their faces should be &#8212; an ominous twist that suggests dehumanization, technology&#8217;s infiltration into our lives, and even dystopia. Their strange presence high above Prague instills not just surprise, but reflection, as they literally climb a monument once intended to broadcast ideology. This interplay of public art and architecture redefines both the tower and how people engage with urban space.<\/p>\n<p>Visitors to the \u017di\u017ekov Television Tower can reach the site via tram or metro. The Ji\u0159\u00edho z Pod\u011bbrad metro station on Prague\u2019s green A line is a short walk away, and several tram lines serve the nearby stops. The journey to the tower offers a chance to explore the \u017di\u017ekov neighborhood itself, a lively area known for its bohemian vibe, local pubs, and artistic community. On arrival, guests can admire the sculptures from the surrounding park, or venture inside the tower for more immersive experiences.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7893\" style=\"width: 884px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7893\" class=\"wp-image-7893 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/cawp-admin.fareportal.com\/getting-there\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Zizkov_Television_Tower_Prague_-_babies_by_David_Cerny-6442-2.jpg\" alt=\"\u017di\u017ekov Television Tower Prague - Babies by David \u010cern\u00fd by Raimond Spekking licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0\" width=\"874\" height=\"544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Zizkov_Television_Tower_Prague_-_babies_by_David_Cerny-6442-2.jpg 874w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Zizkov_Television_Tower_Prague_-_babies_by_David_Cerny-6442-2-300x187.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Zizkov_Television_Tower_Prague_-_babies_by_David_Cerny-6442-2-400x250.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 874px) 100vw, 874px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7893\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:%C5%BDi%C5%BEkov_Television_Tower_Prague_-_babies_by_David_%C4%8Cern%C3%BD-6442.jpg\">\u017di\u017ekov Television Tower Prague &#8211; Babies by David \u010cern\u00fd<\/a> by Raimond Spekking licensed under <a class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Inside the tower, visitors can take a high-speed elevator to observation decks nearly 100 meters above ground, providing some of the best panoramic views of Prague\u2019s historic rooftops, spires, and distant hills. A restaurant and lounge offer upscale dining and drinks with a skyline backdrop, marrying innovation with relaxation. For those intrigued by bold design and the interplay of art and technology, the \u017di\u017ekov Television Tower and its climbing babies offer a distinctive travel experience that encapsulates the dualities of Prague &#8212; past and future, beauty and discomfort, tradition and rebellion.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Have you ever seen the \u010cern\u00fd Babies in Prague? Tell us about it in the comments below!\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rising above the skyline of Prague, the \u017di\u017ekov Television Tower is one of the city&#8217;s most striking and unconventional landmarks &#8212; not just for its futuristic, almost alien design, but for the surreal baby sculptures crawling up and down its structure. These larger-than-life figures, each a faceless infant in mid-climb, are the work of controversial [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":7887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[84,103],"tags":[409,410,167],"class_list":{"0":"post-7884","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-destinations","8":"category-offbeat-travel","9":"tag-czech-republic","10":"tag-czechia","11":"tag-prague"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7884"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7894,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7884\/revisions\/7894"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.ca\/getting-there\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}