Havel 90: Special Prague tram honors late Czech president on popular line 22

A specially designed tram honoring Václav Havel has begun carrying passengers through Prague to mark what would have been the former Czech president, dissident, and playwright’s 90th birthday.

The blue Havel 90 tram entered service Monday, Oct. 5, the anniversary of Havel’s birth, and is running on line 22. Passengers will be able to encounter the commemorative vehicle through the end of the year, Czech Radio reported.

For Prague residents and visitors, the tribute is particularly visible: line 22 crosses the city center and serves several of the capital’s major landmarks, including the area around Prague Castle.

The tram is painted blue and carries the Havel 90 logo alongside an abstract portrait emphasizing the former president’s distinctive facial features. The anniversary logo was designed by Studio Najbrt.

Inside, passengers will find posters highlighting events connected with the anniversary of Havel’s birth. The tram will depart from the Vozovna Vokovice depot and continue operating on line 22 until the end of 2026, according to Prague City Hall spokesman Vít Hofman.

The project was prepared by the City of Prague in cooperation with the First Presidential Library. The tram made its ceremonial first journey Monday from the Planetárium Praha stop near Stromovka to Staroměstská in the historic center.

Musician Michael Kocáb, a member of the First Presidential Library’s board, told Czech Radio that the everyday nature of a tram made it an appropriate way to commemorate Havel and his emphasis on civil society.

The tram is the latest in a series of events marking Havel’s 90th anniversary in Prague. A Václav Havel bench designed by architect Bořek Šípek was unveiled on Mariánské náměstí in September, while exhibitions, screenings and other cultural events are taking place across the capital.

This is not the first time Prague’s tram network has been used to commemorate Havel. In 2023, a special tram marked 30 years since his election as the first president of the independent Czech Republic.

In 2019, Prague also brought back a replica of the tram used during Havel’s presidential campaign following the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

Havel, who became Czechoslovakia’s first post-communist president in December 1989 and later the first president of the independent Czech Republic, died in 2011 at age 75.

The Havel 90 tram is expected to remain in service through Dec. 31. Those interested in the wider anniversary program can also explore events taking place across Prague, including exhibitions, performances and upcoming Signal Festival installations inspired by Havel’s work and ideas.