Hunger Wall

The Hunger Wall is a historic fortification on Petřín Hill in Prague, built on the orders of King Charles IV between 1360 and 1362 to protect Prague Castle and the Lesser Town from attacks from the south and west. Constructed from local Pläner stone, the wall originally stood four to four and a half meters high and featured battlements, loopholes, and projecting towers. It ran from Újezd over Petřín Hill to Strahov Monastery. The fortification only acquired its name after a famine in 1361, as it is believed that the construction work served as a make-work program, although the strategic purpose came first. Over the centuries, the wall was repaired and reinforced several times, most recently in the 20th century. Today it is a popular destination for outings, with sweeping views over the city. One of the surviving bastions also forms the foundation of the Štefánik Observatory. The wall also served as inspiration for Franz Kafka's story about the building of the Great Wall of China and was formerly used for astronomical measurements.