Negrelli viaduct, Prague, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

The Negrelli Viaduct (Negrelliho viadukt) is a 19th-century railway viaduct in Prague that carries trains over the Vltava between the city centre and the district of Karlín. Completed around 1850 and named after its designer, the engineer Alois Negrelli, it is among the oldest surviving railway viaducts in the city and one of the longest stone structures of its kind in Europe.

The story behind it

The viaduct was built in the 1840s as part of the early railway network of the Austrian Empire, to bring the line from the north into Prague. Its long row of masonry arches runs from the Karlín side across the river and its flood plain towards the Old Town side of the city. Alois Negrelli was a Tyrolean-born engineer who worked on railways and bridges across Central Europe and is also remembered for his plans for the Suez Canal. The viaduct is the work that carries his name in Prague.

Built of stone and brick, it has carried trains for well over a century and a half and has outlasted floods and the rebuilding of the surrounding districts. It is protected as a cultural monument, and the Karlín stretch, where the arches rise over the streets, is the part most people notice first.

What to look for

• The long, regular rhythm of the arches, which looks most impressive when you stand at one end and look along the whole length.
• The stonework and brickwork of the piers and arches, where you can see how carefully 19th-century builders shaped a structure meant to last.
• The section over the river and the islands, where the viaduct crosses open water and gives a clear view of its scale.
• The contrast between the old masonry and the modern Karlín streets below, where the arches rise above offices, cafes and apartment blocks.

Tips for your visit

• You can see the viaduct from the street and the riverbank at any time, so a visit is free and needs no ticket. It is an active railway, so you cannot walk on the tracks.
• Allow 20 to 30 minutes for a good look, longer if you want to walk along the river or into Karlín.
• Late afternoon light warms the stone and flatters the arches, and the riverbank is a good place for photos.
• Karlín is a short walk away and has plenty of cafes and restaurants, and the Vltava embankment makes an easy extension to the walk.

Explore it on a quest

The best way to see the viaduct is as part of a wider walk through the area. Discover Prague on foot with one of Questo's self-guided quests in Prague, where the app leads you from place to place, tells you about each stop and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you.