Public benches of Prague, rated.
An independent guide. Every bench listed here has been sat on in person, for no fewer than eleven minutes, weather permitting.
The index currently covers 8 benches across Letna, Petrin, Vysehrad, Riegrovy sady, Namesti Miru, Kampa, Stromovka and Naplavka. More will be added when they have been sat on.
Benches
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Bench 01, Letna, east path
Inspected: 14 April 2019
A wooden bench on the gravel path running along the eastern edge of the park. Three slats form the seat and two form the back. The paint is original and has opinions about it.
Inspector's note: Slight left tilt, approx. 2 degrees. Sitters adapt within a minute.
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Bench 02, Namesti Miru, north side
Inspected: 2 June 2019
A metal-framed bench set under a row of lime trees. Shade is reliable from May to September. The seat is warm in winter, which is unexplained. Faces the district office. Excellent view of nothing happening.
Inspector's note: Installed after a lengthy public consultation. Nobody remembers what was decided.
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Bench 03, Kampa, near the water
Inspected: 21 September 2019
A low stone-and-timber bench a few metres from the water. The view is the best in the index and the bench has noticed.
Inspector's note: Backrest present but philosophical.
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Bench 04, Petrin, below the lookout tower
Inspected: 8 May 2021
A wide bench on the lower path, sheltered by an apple tree of unknown ownership. Dry within an hour of rain.
Inspector's note: Newly renovated. The renovation took four years and the bench is the same bench.
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Bench 05, Vysehrad, by the ramparts
Inspected: 30 October 2021
A stone bench on the ramparts path with a wide view of the river and the railway bridge. Cold from October. Very cold from November.
Inspector's note: Reserved for officials, though none have ever been observed sitting on it.
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Bench 06, Riegrovy sady, upper terrace
Inspected: 17 July 2019
A long bench on the upper terrace, popular on summer evenings. Crowded after 6pm, which makes proper assessment difficult. Shade is the only category on which the inspector felt able to commit.
Inspector's note: Rating withheld. A review has been pending since 2019.
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Bench 07, Naplavka, embankment
Inspected: 12 August 2023
A concrete bench on the lower embankment, facing the water. No shade of any kind. Pigeon activity is considerable and organised.
Inspector's note: The bench is stable. This cannot be said of the plans for the embankment.
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Bench 08, Stromovka, near the pond
Inspected: 5 May 2024
A green bench beside the pond, with good shade and an occasional duck. The duck is not part of the rating.
Inspector's note: Seat count: 3. Meeting count about the seat count: 14. The inspector attended none of them.
Methodology
The index uses a fixed procedure so that benches can be compared fairly, including benches that are very far apart.
Duration
Each bench is sat on for a minimum of 11 minutes, weather permitting. The 11 minutes are timed. A bench sat on for 10 minutes and 40 seconds is sat on again.
Days
Benches are not rated on Mondays. Benches are also not rated on days following a Monday on which a rating was attempted.
Comfort
Scored from 1 to 10 on seat depth, backrest angle and the sitter's willingness to stay. A bench that is left early loses a point per minute short of the minimum.
View
Scored from 1 to 10 on what can be seen from the seat, not what can be seen from standing. Views containing a building site are scored as though the building were finished.
Pigeon Risk
Scored from 1 to 10, where 10 is high risk. Assessed by counting pigeons within 5 metres during the first 3 minutes, then multiplying by a factor the inspector keeps to himself.
Shade
Scored from 1 to 10 at 2pm, the hour at which shade is most needed and least available. Where a visit took place at another hour, the score is adjusted and the adjustment is not disclosed.
Withheld ratings
A rating may be withheld where conditions do not allow a fair assessment. Withheld ratings are reviewed periodically. Some have been under review for several years.
Appeals
Ratings are final. There is no appeals process, and no bench has ever appealed.
About
The Prague Bench Index is run by one person. It was founded after a disappointing bench experience in 2019. The details are not discussed.
The index is not funded, sponsored or affiliated. It has no staff, no committee and no plans to form one. Inspections are carried out on foot, usually at weekends.
The aim is to produce a reliable record of where a person can sit down in Prague, and how that is likely to go.
Contact
Bench suggestions are welcome but will not be acknowledged.