Portál Pražana
The City of Prague Museum reopens Prague’s towers
If you enjoy looking at the city from a great height, you will be pleased to know that the City of Prague Museum is reopening the most popular Prague towers. The Czech capital city is also known as the City of a Hundred Spires ('Stověžatá Praha'). Only a few people know exactly how many towers there are in Prague; however, it is certainly over one hundred. In Prague, towers of all kinds are everywhere, even in the least expected places.
The City of Prague Museum manages the six most famous and well-known of them.
Petřín Tower
What is probably the most visited tower in Prague was built thanks to an initiative of the Czech Tourist Club founders in 1891. Between the years 1953 and 1992, the Petřín Tower (‘Petřínská rozhledna’) was used as a television transmitter from 1953 to 1992, and today it is a lookout tower.
Seeing Prague from the top of the Petřín Tower is an experience not to be missed, and the permanent exhibition in the lookout tower’s basement is also well worth a visit. The exhibition displays the impressive history of Petřín Hill over the centuries.
Prašná brána
The Powder Tower or Powder Gate (‘Prašná brána’) is a significant symbol of Prague and one of the most important monuments from the Middle Ages. The tower marked the beginning of the Prague Royal Route, the historical route through the city where future Czech kings passed for their coronations. An important road from Kutná Hora, where silver was mined in the royal treasury, led to the tower.
Climbing the 186 stone steps is certainly worth the effort, as you will be rewarded with a magical view of the ‘Týnský chrám’ (the Týn Church), Prague Castle, the Žižkov Television Tower, and the National Monument at Vítkov from the observation deck.
Malostranská Bridge Tower
The Lesser Town Bridge Tower (‘Malostranská mostecká věž’), the youngest part of Charles Bridge, is the taller tower on the Lesser Town bank of the Vltava. In the past, the 435-metre-high building served as a warehouse and fire alarm tower. The observation deck offers amazing views of the Vltava and the historic centre of Prague, at a height of 26 metres.
Staroměstská Bridge Tower
The Old Town Bridge Tower (‘Staroměstská mostecká věž’) is one of the most beautiful Gothic structures in Europe. The City of Prague Museum opened a permanent exhibition in the tower for the anniversary of Charles IV’s birth. The exhibition not only displays unquestionable facts, but also describes various interesting legends and hypotheses. There is a small exhibition of objects fished out from the Vltava River, or found during the recent exploration of the river bed, in the basement of the tower.
Svatomikulášská Bell Tower
St. Nicholas Bell Tower (Svatomikulášská městská zvonice) hosts the permanent exhibition ‘Custos Turris/ City Watch’, depicting the tower serving its original purpose as a city tower and a municipal bell tower. You will get acquainted with the demanding life of the tower watchmen and city guards, the building’s history and with the abuse of this historical building during the communist regime.
Novomlýnská Water Tower
The New Mill Water Tower (‘Novomlýnská vodárenská věž’) hosts the exhibition on the history of fire and fire fighters in Prague. You can also download an application that will guide you through the entire tower and the Prague on Fire permanent exhibition. You can visit the exhibition from the comfort of your own home with the application.
For further information, please visit: http://en.muzeumprahy.cz/.