Karlín

Karlín

The pulsating Prague quarter that lies in the flood plain of the Vltava River and neighbours Prague New Town.

The current quarter of Karlín has a luxurious appearance. Modernism in a West European style surrounds you everywhere. However, a few years ago, you would not have recognised Karlín. There were grey tenement blocks and dusty industrial plants everywhere. But today, it is centre of social and cultural life.  
Karlín got its second chance in 2002 after the devastating Prague floods primarily flushed this quarter neighbouring the Vltava. Several houses had to be demolished, and it took an entire year before life returned to normal. Since then, Rohanské nábřeží has transformed into a luxurious office quarter, where the place of tenement blocks and industrial halls has been taken by flashy modern buildings.

However, even today, you still find historical monuments here. The most important is the Negrelli Viaduct, which connects Masaryk Railway Station in Prague with Bubny via Štvanice Island. It is historically Prague’s first railway bridge across the Vltava River and is currently the second oldest Prague bridge across the Vltava. It is also the longest railway bridge, and the third longest bridge in the Czech Republic overall. It is 1,110 metres long, which made it the longest bridge in Europe until 1910.

Also worth seeing is one of the biggest theatrical scenes in Prague, the Karlín Musical Theatre, Forum Karlín – a multifunctional space for cultural and social events, the five-storey Karlín Barracks from 1848, the extensive Baroque style Invalidovna from 1737, the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius from the mid-19th century, which is one of the biggest church buildings in Bohemia, and the New-Romanesque Karlín Synagogue from 1861. Farmers’ markets are regularly organised on Karlín Square (Karlínské náměstí) in front of the Church of St. Cyril and Methodius.