The Powder Tower

The Powder Tower is one of Prague's most recognisable Gothic landmarks, standing at the entrance to the Old Town where it once served as one of the thirteen gates in the city's medieval fortifications. Construction began in 1475 under King Vladislav II, who intended it as a ceremonial gateway befitting the royal court then based in the adjacent Royal Court palace. The tower takes its name from the gunpowder stored within its walls during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a period that also saw it damaged during the Prussian siege of 1757. Restored in the nineteenth century by the architect Josef Mocker, who gave it much of the ornate Neo-Gothic detailing visible today, the tower has become one of the defining features of the Náměstí Republiky skyline.

Visitors who climb the tower's interior staircase are rewarded with close views of the carved stone decoration on the upper galleries and a panorama across Prague's rooftops. Entry tickets grant access to the tower itself, making it a compact but rewarding stop on any exploration of the Old Town.