The Powder Tower, Prague, Przewodnik dla zwiedzających i co robić w okolicy

The Powder Tower (Prašná brána) is a Gothic gate in the Old Town of Prague, standing beside Náměstí Republiky. It was built in the 15th century as one of the gates in the medieval city walls, and today it marks the start of the Royal Way, the old coronation route that climbs towards Prague Castle.

The story behind it

Construction began in 1475, when the Old Town wanted a grand gate on its eastern side. Next to it stood the Royal Court, the residence of Bohemian kings, which is why the road leading from the gate towards the castle became known as the Royal Way. The kings soon moved back to the castle, and the tower was left unfinished for centuries.

The name sounds like something from a fairy tale, but it is practical: the tower was later used to store gunpowder. In the 19th century it was heavily restored and given much of the ornate Gothic Revival decoration you see today. Right beside it rises the Municipal House, an Art Nouveau building put up on the site of the old royal residence. It was in this building that the Czechoslovak Republic was proclaimed on 28 October 1918. Franz Kafka also worked in this neighbourhood, at an insurance institute, and this gate was part of his everyday surroundings.

What to look for

• The dark, soot-stained stonework of the tower, with its steep roof and slender corner turrets, which contrasts with the lighter buildings around it.
• The sculpted decoration on the facade facing the square, where statues and carved details show how much the tower was reworked in the 19th century.
• The Municipal House next door, whose glass, mosaics and curving metalwork are a fine example of Czech Art Nouveau.
• The start of Celetná Street under the arch, a good spot to picture the route that coronation processions once followed.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 15 to 20 minutes to look at the tower and the Municipal House from outside, and more if you plan to go up to the viewing gallery. Check current opening hours before you go.
• Walk around the tower to see it from several angles. Early morning is the quietest time, and in the evening the lit stonework looks especially dramatic.
• You can enter the Municipal House, which has a well-known cafe, so it is an easy place to take a break afterwards.
• The Old Town Square is a short walk along Celetná Street, so the tower works well as the first stop of a walk through the historic centre.

See it on a quest

The tower fits naturally into Franz Kafka's Prague: Literary Tour. You reach it on foot as one stop of a longer route through the streets where Kafka lived and worked, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like, with no guide and no set departure time.