Known in Czech as Prasna Brana or ‘Powder Gate’, the Powder Tower is one of the 13 original gates to Prague. It was built attached to the palace on the edge of the Old Town before the king moved to reside at Prague Castle. Over time the limits of the city grew and the gate was no longer used as a point of entry. Nowadays it serves as the end of the Old Town and is popularly visited by tourists and historians alike.
You can climb some 86 steps to reach the top of the tower at 44 metres above the ground and look out from the observation platform across this historic part of the city. Bear in mind when you visit that the steps are very steep and can make for a more challenging climb for some less able visitors.
Inside the gate, you’ll find a marvellous permanent exhibition looking at the history of the Prague Towers. It contains photographs and insights about the city’s 13 original towers, including more accounts about the 15th century origins of the Powder Tower. Here you can learn about how the tower used to be part of the main thoroughfare for visitors heading to the Prague Castle, including for Czech kings who would travel along the route when they were inaugurated. You’ll even find out about how the tower used to be used as a store for gunpowder, leading it to be given its modern-day name in the 17th century.
The tower is a sight well worth visiting as the only gate remaining in the city and an impressive feature of the Old Town cityscape. Be aware however that there is another, separate Powder Tower located within Prague Castle.
Situated at the edge of the Old Town, the Powder Tower is open every day and you’ll be charged a small fee to enter. It is easy to reach both by metro and by tram.
