“Prague Walker”: finding your way around Prague just got easier
Keep getting lost in Prague’s city centre? Residents and visitors can now find their way more easily thanks to “Prague Walker”, a new pedestrian signage system that shows that sometimes walking really is the quickest way to get around.
The new signage system will gradually replace the brown signs attached to lampposts and poles across the city, familiar to most residents. Among the most noticeable new features are so-called “obelisks,” one of which has appeared on the Old Town Square. Richard Jaroš, one of the designers of the new information boards, describes it:
“You can imagine it as a black anthracite frame, with a sleek panel displaying a map and individual route indicators. The top of the ‘obelisk’ is an orange block with an image of a pedestrian and the label ‘Prague Walker’. At the base you can also see an orange part with a compass showing north.”
According to Petr Tomčík, director of ROPID, the organisation that manages public transport in Prague and the surrounding area, the design draws on the visual style of the Prague Metro. He adds:
“The aim of the project is to create a unified visual style for all information across Prague – both in public spaces and within the public transport system – so that all these elements speak the same graphic language.”
Another, more important, aim of the “Prague Walker” project – developed jointly by ROPID, the Prague Institute of Planning and Development, and Prague City Tourism – is to encourage walking in the city. Clearer navigation should help spread tourists more evenly across Prague, as the most famous routes are often overcrowded simply because people do not know alternatives. The same applies to public transport, which visitors sometimes use for short distances that are actually quicker to walk. After all, the city centre is not that big.
Yet the project’s authors took inspiration from a much larger city – London, whose pedestrian map system has helped people in the British capital choose walking over public transport or taxis. After it was introduced, the share of journeys made on foot increased by 5 percent, while the number of people who felt lost fell by 60 percent. Well-designed pedestrian navigation also saves time: because people in London wander less, their walking trips are significantly faster.
Jaromír Beránek (Pirate Party), a member of the Prague Transport Committee, added:
“I had the chance to compare the map boards in London with those here in Prague, and I was surprised by how similar the final result is. It uses a modern communication style and highlights places that might interest visitors. It’s all presented in a way that makes it easy for anyone to find their way around.”
The first route, which includes 15 obelisks and 8 signs and cost more than 1.5 million CZK, leads from the Old Town Square through Letná park to Prague’s exhibition ground Výstaviště. A further 50 installations are planned for next year on Wenceslas Square, around the Main Railway Stations and the Prague Castle.
So, next time you find yourself a bit lost in Prague, look out for the pedestrian symbol on an orange background to point you in the right direction. The signs even tell you how many minutes it will take to reach key tourist spots and other destinations on foot.
