Letná Carousel Spins Back Into Operation

The second season of the reconstructed historic carousel started on Prague’s Letná on Thursday.

The monument was bought in 2004 by the National Technical Museum because it is one of the oldest surviving floor carousels in Europe.

At that time, however, the carousel was in a state of disrepair, despite having been declared a monument in 1991.

The carousel was originally built in 1892 by carpenter Matěj Bílek and placed inside Royal Vinohrady which were not yet a part of the city of Prague.

Two years later, in 1894, the carousel was moved into what was then the royal capital city of Prague and placed inside Letná park, where it still stands today. It is the oldest intact carousel of its kind in Europe.

Last year, the season started on July 11 and ran until the end of October. “It was a test year. It proved that the reconstruction went well because it was fully operational and had no defects that needed to be removed,” Karel Ksandr, director-general of the National Technical Museum, said at a press conference.

This year, the carousel will operate from Friday to Sunday and on public holidays until October, and both children and adults can ride it for CZK 100.

Even the horses are unique in their own right. The nineteen animals are all of the various sizes and are covered with genuine horsehide without joints. They are filled with straw and their eyes are made of glass. The structure is iron and the head and legs are carved from wood.