The Trojan Horse in Prague is not a Trap

The Trojan Horse in Prague is not a trap but a special attraction. No, it is not the original wooden horse but a replica of what the Trojan Horse is thought to have looked like. Czech sculptor, Ivan Nacvalač, worked on it for five months with the help of his sons and a few friends. The horse in Prague is made of pine wood, is almost 10 meters high, 12 meters long and weighs 6.5 tons. And it can also be moved.

Mini refresher course Trojan Horse

The Trojan horse was a trap. The Greeks gave a gigantic wooden horse as a gift to their enemies, the Trojans, as a peace offering. But after the Trojans dragged the horse into their city walls and celebrated their victory, Greek soldiers slipped out of the horse’s hollow belly and opened the city gates, allowing their countrymen to pour in and conquer Troy.

The Trojan Horse in Prague

When the artist Ivan Nacvalač placed a huge wooden horse in the Troja district in 2007, it was not necessarily a reference to the name Troja, which could evoke associations with ancient Troy nor was it a reference to the Troja district in Prague. He just wanted to create a pleasant place. He built his horse in a very short time, albeit with the help of friends. The result is a gigantic horse that is larger than the equestrian statue on Vitkov Hill.

In the belly of the animal he built an art gallery that soon became too small so that the art also ended up on the grass around the horse. He also built a stage for concerts and a small bar appeared between the animal’s legs where beer, rum and coffee were served.

the photo below shows the Trojan horse in its old location on the Emperor’s island before the floods of 2013

Galerie Trojský kůň (Galerie Trojan Horse)

A little later, Nacvalač put his mobile home next to the horse and went to live there. During the severe floods in 2013, his caravan drifted away and was never found again. The horse survived the floods and Nacvalač went to live in his horse. The art was moved outside and is now in the open-air art gallery in his garden. The fence around the horse is closed so you can only see the art from a distance. Jazz and blues concerts are regularly held around the horse. Everyone is having a great time and sometimes spontaneous jam sessions start.

Location

The horse originally stood on the Emperor’s Island, from where it was moved to its current location years ago.

The Trojan Horse is located in Prague, to be precise on the banks of the Vltava River near the Troja footbridge bridge. The horse originally stood on the Emperor’s Island.

Address: Galerie Trojský kůň (Trojan Horse Gallery), Vodácká 1, Troja, Prague

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