Petřín Funicular Reopens 22 September After Two-Year Closure

Passenger service starts at 7:00 on 22 September

Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) says passenger trial operation will begin on Tuesday, 22 September 2026. The first cars are scheduled to leave the Újezd and Petřín stations at 7:00, after which the line is planned to run every 10 minutes until 22:15 each day.

The wording matters slightly: DPP describes the return as trial operation with passengers, while Prague Integrated Transport (PID) is already publishing the line with a regular timetable valid from 22 September. For a visitor, the practical message is straightforward — passenger service is scheduled to return on Tuesday — but it is still sensible to check DPP or PID on the morning of your visit in case testing produces a late operational change.

The reopening ends a shutdown that began in September 2024. Extreme rainfall damaged the track and the Petřín hillside, and DPP brought forward a complete reconstruction that was already planned along with replacement cars. The last day of the previous generation's service was 13 September 2024.

The new single fare is 100 CZK — but day tickets and passes can cover it

The funicular remains part of the Prague Integrated Transport system, but it does not accept every ordinary PID ticket. From the reopening, a special non-transferable single ride costs 100 CZK, or 90 CZK when bought in the PID Lítačka app.

If you already have a Prague 24-hour or 72-hour ticket, a long-term Prague travel pass, a Prague Visitor Pass, or an entitlement to free public transport, PID says you can use the funicular without paying an extra single fare. By contrast, the ordinary 30-minute and 90-minute tickets are not the right tickets for a standalone funicular journey.

That distinction is worth checking before you queue at Újezd. The funicular feels like part of a normal public-transport day, but its short-trip fare now works differently from a tram or metro ride. Fare rules are exactly the sort of detail that can change later, so use the official PID fare page for the final check rather than an old blog screenshot.

Nebozízek becomes an uphill-only stop

The most important operational change is at the middle station, Nebozízek. Under the new pattern, cars stop there on the way uphill from Újezd towards Petřín, but not on the downhill trip.

If you want to travel from Nebozízek down to Újezd, PID's instruction is to board uphill first, continue to Petřín, then stay within the system for the return journey down to Újezd. One special non-transferable funicular ticket is sufficient for that journey. The change removes one stop from each downhill trip and is intended to improve the circulation and capacity of the line.

For most visitors starting at Újezd and heading to the top, nothing complicated changes: you can still get off at Nebozízek on the ascent, or stay aboard to Petřín.

New fourth-generation cars, rebuilt track and more glass

The reopened funicular is not simply the old system switched back on. The line has received a complete track reconstruction and new technical equipment, while two new fourth-generation cars replace the vehicles that ran before the 2024 closure.

The cars were designed by the Czech studio Anna Marešová designers and manufactured by the Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group. DPP highlights their larger glazed areas, intended to give better views of Prague on the climb. The two cars also have a playful interaction when they pass each other on the line: one visually “winks” while the other changes its interior lighting, a nod to Petřín's long association with dates and romance.

The line itself is 509 metres long, climbs just over 126 metres and has three stations: Újezd, Nebozízek and Petřín. DPP lists a normal journey time of about 3.2 minutes. It is short, but the practical value is the climb it removes: walking directly from Újezd to the top is steep.

How to reach the Újezd station

The lower station is at Újezd on the Malá Strana side of the river. PID currently lists tram lines 9, 12, 15, 20, 22 and 23 as serving the Újezd stop for the funicular. Because Prague's tram network is routinely adjusted for works and events, check your live connection on the day rather than treating that list as permanent.

At the top, the funicular returns direct access to Petřín's gardens, the lookout-tower area, the Mirror Maze and nearby walking routes towards Strahov. The middle Nebozízek station is useful for the gardens and viewpoints part-way up the hill.

Accessibility is improved in the cars, but the stations are not yet fully step-free

PID says the new vehicles are better adapted for prams and bicycles, but the funicular stations will not be fully wheelchair accessible when service restarts. Wider accessibility works are planned later, with PID currently pointing to 2029–2030 construction after design and property steps.

If step-free access is essential, do not assume the reopening means the whole route is accessible. Check PID's current accessibility information and use an alternative route to the Petřín/Strahov area if needed.

What this means if you're in Prague this week

If you are visiting before Tuesday morning, the funicular is still closed. From 7:00 on 22 September, it is scheduled to become a practical option again. For the first few days, allow a little flexibility: a major system returning after two years is exactly the sort of thing where a live operations check is more useful than a perfectly planned screenshot.

If you are choosing between walking and riding, the funicular is mainly about avoiding the steep climb. If the queue is long and you are happy to walk, the hill remains accessible on foot. If you want the easiest public-transport approach without the funicular, trams 22 or 23 towards Pohořelec followed by a gentler walk across the upper Petřín/Strahov area are another option.

Official sources

This update is based on the current passenger information from Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) and the Prague Integrated Transport (PID) reopening notice, plus PID's current Petřín funicular information. We have used the 22 September 2026 operating plan published by those agencies and will treat any later official operational notice as the authority.