I love ordinary places. There is a hidden beauty everywhere, even at an ugly public transport station. And Vltavská is definitely an ugly space – at least at first sight.
Built in the communist ’80s, Vltavská is one of the busiest stations on line C. Lots of people come to Letná, the hipster paradise in Prague 7 (where you want to go too, for sure) or Pražská tržnice, a big market space. Hop on the red C line and hop off at Vltavská station too… and then explore the surroundings of this communist-built public transport crossroads.
Vltavská space is a concrete labyrinth of stairs, walk-throughs, tram rails and a city centre highway and it may be sometimes a bit smelly, but it is fascinating too. I like to come here from time to time to check new colours and stuff. There’s graffiti all over the place, parkour apprentices over your head, crazy stairs going nowhere, I can rest a bit in a small park nearby and listen to buskers playing accordion or guitar. In 2021, there was even a small skatepark opened here.
Vltavská is also a home to homeless people (sounds crazy but it’s true) with a big heart, and it’s definitely worth spending ten minutes of exploring while you are on your way to… somewhere else.
