November 2, 1985
In Czechoslovakia’s capital city, Karlovo náměstí station became part of the inaugural section of Line B of the rapid transit system known as the Prague Metro to be opened. This section covers three miles (4.9 kilometers) between Florenc and Smíchovské nádraží stations.
At the time, Czechoslovakia was still under communist rule. That form of government in Czechoslovakia would be peacefully deposed during the Velvet Revolution four years later. In 1993, the country was split into the independent states of Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Prague is now the capital of the Czech Republic.
Karlovo náměstí station is specifically located in the New Town of Prague. This town is the newest and largest of the five independent towns that constitute the historic center of Prague. “Karlovo náměstí” is Czech for “Charles Square,” which is adjacent to the station bearing its name and has the distinction of being one of the largest city squares in the world. One of the station’s two exits leads to Charles Square; the other exit leads to Palacký Square (Palackého náměstí).
The unique features of Karlovo náměstí station include the cladding of interlocked components of pressed glass within the entrance and platform areas. These designs were created by Czech glass artist František Vízner (1936-2011).
Line B was the last of the Prague Metro’s three existing lines to be opened. This line, however, has since become the longest of those three lines. Line B consists of 15.9 miles (25.6 kilometers) of track and a total of 24 stations.
Photo Credit: Karelj (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Karelj) – Public Domain
For more information on Line B of the Prague Metro, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_B_(Prague_Metro)
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