Powder Tower

One of the sights of Golden Prague is the so called Powder Tower. In fact, the original name of this high building is translated as, gunpowder Tower. The name came because in the 18th century in the lowest parts of the tower gunpowder was stored.

Powder Tower was built in 1475 with the moat which today is located nine meters underground. As in most towers in the Czech capital, there you can also get to the top. To reach the top you must go all the way up to 168 feet which is definitely worth the effort because the very top offers a view all of Prague which is indeed fascinating.

The original tower was erected with only three floors, and its diameter was 80 feet. The fourth floor, which has a smaller diameter, was built by Frederick IV, who ruled between 1592-1610 and in 1689 the tower was blown up by the French. However, the stability of the building and excellent engineering of the construction prevented the entire tower to be destroyed as a result of which it has been managed to be maintain to today. Then destruction was most of the towers ornaments on the façade.

Powder Tower with the Old Town Bridge Tower were the only buildings that have managed to be maintain today from the ancient fortress of Prague. Between 1875 and 1886 Powder Tower was restored in the Gothic style by architect Josef Mocker.

Today in the first floor of this "door" to the Golden Prague you can see interesting statues of the Bohemian kings. Among them are, Vladislav ll and Joseph King. They are surrounded by a rich collection of symbols of the lands and territories which came under their domain. On the second level of the tower are figures of the local bohemian patrons saints.

The height of this Czech landmark is 65 m, and takes 186 steps to get to the top. The gallery of the Powder Tower has a height of 44 meters and is accessible to public visitors throughout the year.