Baroque Bastion XXXI offers great views and art

Ota Janeček’s bronze statues

A walk to the Bastion is truly delightful. The place has a rich history, as a baroque building that makes up part of the New Town fortifications, and you can also admire Ota Janeček’s magnificent sculptures.

Renovated Bastion with beautiful views

If it’s been a while since you visited the bastion, located near the Nuselský Bridge, you will be pleasantly surprised. Although it used to be a forgotten, derelict property, it has been transformed into a charming relaxation zone with a nice restaurant.

The bastion dates to the 14th century, when the original Gothic walls were rebuilt in the Baroque style. Along with the famous Vyšehrad fort, it forms a defence complex, where the walls separate the New Town of Prague and the Charles University Campus from the Folimanka Park and part of the town below Vyšehrad.

National Architecture Award

You can see lovely views of Vyšehrad and other historical monuments in Prague from the bastion. When you get tired of admiring the view of Prague, you can rest on a modern bench, or in the cosy restaurant that blends in perfectly with the environment. It is no surprise that the renovation of Bastion XXXI U Božích muk in Prague 2 won the National Architecture Award 2012.

Interesting exhibition space

Outdoor exhibitions are also held every year. For example, statues by Olbram Zoubek, Radek Andrle, and Michael Gabriel were exhibited at Bastion XXXI.

Ota Janeček would have celebrated his one hundredth birthday last August, and you can admire his work at the current exhibit. This exhibition is exceptional because some of the statues are publicly displayed for the first time.

Janeček was born on the 15^th of August, 1919 in Pardubičky, near Pardubice. He studied drawing at the Czech Technical University in Prague, as well as at the Academy of Arts, Architecture & Design in Prague. As an illustrator, he won an award for the Czechoslovak Book of the Year several times. His paintings focused on nature, and his art, with delicate flowers, birds, butterflies and blades of grass, resembles Japanese hanging paintings.

Although Ota Janeček is known as a painter, he also worked with sculpture, creating cubist sculptures in the 1940s and later sculptures in the 1960s. You can admire a selection of his sculptures at the bastion.

Come and enjoy the beautiful views and see lesser-known works by a renowned artist.