Prague tram parade celebrates 60 years of the iconic Tatra T3

Among Prague's diverse fleet of trams over the past century, none has been as iconic as the Tatra T3. The T3 tram has continuously ridden through Prague for the past sixty years, and a tram parade through the city center tomorrow will celebrate six decades of the iconic vehicles.

On Sunday, November 20th, the parade through Prague will featuring five distinct T3 models that represent key moments in the history of the vehicles along with four modern versions. The festivities will kick off at the the Na Knížecí tram stop in Prague 5, near the Tatra Smíchov factory where the T3 was originally born.

The celebrations will begin from 2:00 p.m., with the nine T3 vehicles on display for observers to photograph. A procession of vehicles will begin from approximately 2:30 p.m. in the direction of the city center.

The parade route will bring the vehicles from Anděl to Újezd ​​and Malostranské náměstí, across the Mánesův bridge to the National Theater, Lazarská, Wenceslas Square and Náměstí Republiky in the city center, and into Prague 7 at Strossmayerovo náměstí, Letenské náměstí, and Špejchar.

The parade is estimated to last about one hour, with vehicles arriving at the Špejchar tram loop at approximately 3:30 p.m.

Historic vehicles included in the procession of Tatra T3 trams include the oldest model in the world, produced in 1962; a 1964 redesign that dominated Prague's rails over the next three decades; and models from 1989 that date back to the Velvet Revolution.

Newer models that will be participating in the tram parade include the award-winning T3 Coupé, which can still be booked for private sightseeing tours in Prague, and modernized versions from 1996, 2000, and 2007.

While tickets to ride the individual vehicles in the parade procession have sold out, onlookers are invited to come for a rare opportunity to watch and photograph the historic Tatra T3 models. This weekend's chilly weather and potential for snowfall may make for some especially photogenic moments.

The Tatra T3 is not only famous in Prague. The vehicles have ridden the rails in Brno, Liberec, Olomouc, Ostrava, Plzeň, and Most over the years, as well as foreign cities in Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Germany, Croatia, Latvia, Romania, Uzbekistan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.