Powder Tower

The Powder Tower — Prašná brána in Czech — is a 65-metre late-Gothic gate tower on náměstí Republiky and one of the defining landmarks at the edge of Prague's Old Town. Construction began in 1475 under King Vladislav II as a ceremonial city gate adjoining the royal court, but when the court relocated to Prague Castle the project stalled and the unfinished tower became a gunpowder magazine by the late 17th century, giving it the name it carries today. It stands at the start of Celetná Street, the opening stretch of the Royal Route along which Bohemian kings processed to the castle for coronation. A heavy 19th-century neo-Gothic restoration gave the tower its current richly sculpted silhouette, complete with crockets and figural reliefs. A narrow spiral staircase leads to an open viewing gallery with rooftop views across the Old Town; the tower stays open until 22:00 in summer months.