Powder Tower

The Gothic gate where the coronation route began

Area Staré Město
Type Landmark
Time needed 30m

The Powder Tower is the surviving Gothic gate of the Old Town's medieval walls, begun in 1475 at the point where the royal coronation route into the city started. It takes its name from being used as a gunpowder store later on, and most of the decorative stonework and the roof you see are from a nineteenth century restoration. You climb it for the view down Celetná towards the Old Town Square and across the roofs to the Castle.

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Getting there

Metro line B (yellow) to Náměstí Republiky puts you at the foot of it; the tower is the thing you see when you come up the escalator. Trams 6, 8, 15 and 26 stop at Náměstí Republiky as well. From the Old Town Square it is a seven minute walk east down Celetná, which ends at the gate. The entrance is at street level on the Celetná side, and from there it is a single spiral stair of well over 150 steps to the gallery.

What you see

The ground floor entrance is small, so the visit begins on the stair. Partway up there are two chambers used for a modest exhibition on the Gothic towers and gates of the city and on the building's restoration, and they are worth pausing in mainly because the stair is tiring. The stonework is the real interest: as you climb you pass close to the window tracery and the carved figures of Bohemian kings and saints on the outer faces, which you cannot see properly from the ground. The viewing gallery runs right round the tower under the roof. From it you look west straight down the length of Celetná to the Týn spires, east over Náměstí Republiky and the Municipal House roof immediately below, and on a clear day across to Prague Castle and Petřín.

What to pair it with

The Municipal House is attached to it, which makes the two an obvious pair. The Old Town Square is seven minutes west along Celetná, and the Church of St James is three minutes away.

When to go

It opens daily and stays open later than most Prague sights in summer, so it is a good late-afternoon or early-evening climb when the churches have shut. Golden hour gives you warm light on the roofs to the west. Midday in high season is the worst, when the stair backs up. Winter is fine, though the gallery is exposed and cold.

What is hard about it

There is no lift and the spiral stair is steep, narrow and two-way, so you will be squeezing past people coming down. It is not suitable for anyone with limited mobility, vertigo or a pushchair. The exhibition is thin and nobody comes for it. The gallery is caged with bars and glass in places, which makes clean photographs difficult. The view, while good, is lower and less dramatic than the Old Town Hall tower or Petřín, so if you are only climbing one tower in Prague this would not be the first choice.

Common questions

How long do you need at the Powder Tower?

About thirty minutes, including the climb and time on the gallery.

How many steps are there?

Over 150 on a tight spiral, with no lift. There are landings part way where you can stop.

Is it better than the Old Town Hall tower?

No, for the view. The Old Town Hall tower looks down on the square itself and has a lift; the Powder Tower is cheaper to combine with the Municipal House next door.