Letná

From Prague-wiki

Letná Park (Letenské sady or simply Letná in Czech), located on a plateau overlooking Vltava river, provides a nice escape from the bustle of the historical centre. On a nice day, thousands of people can be found picnicking or otherwise lounging on the benches and green spaces. The park also includes several recreational areas for children, including the oldest functioning carousel in Europe.

Though the park is mostly recreational now, it has a distinctly political past. In 1955, the world’s largest statue of Joseph Stalin was erected on a platform facing Old Town. The next year, however, came Khrushchev's "Secret Speech" denouncing Stalin and his cult of personality, making the enormous statue something of an embarrassment for the Czech people. In 1962, the statue was demolished. But you can still see the platform where it stood, as well as other ground shaping and architectural work, including monumental stairways. In the early 1990s, the bomb shelter beneath the statue’s plinth housed a pirate radio station and later a rock club. Today, the doors are unfortunately closed, though there have been various plans for utilizing the space, for example an oceanarium.

In 1991, an enormous metronome was erected on the place. The remains of the monument are now covered in layers of graffiti, and the area behind the metronome is a popular destination for skateboarders year-round.