Old Town Water Tower - Prague, Czech Republic - Picture Perfect Postcards on Waymarking.com

Smetana Embankment begins at the Legion Bridge and runs around Novotného foot bridge to the Knights of the Cross Square and then to the Charles Bridge. Mainly due to the attractive view from the Charles Bridge, Prague Castle and its vicinity to the Old Town, this segment belongs to the most popular tourist areas in Prague.

Until the mid-19th century, you would not find here anything other than loose sandy areas, which gradually sank in the river lined by old fishing cottages and crooked trees. In the years 1841 - 1845 there was erected the first Prague stone embankment leading from the Charles Bridge to the new chain bridge of Emperor František I.

The embankment designed by architect Bernard Gruber and Vojtech Lanna, famous entrepreneur from Ceské Budejovice built it from chiseled granite blocks. The construction was paid for by the Czech state, which has purchased land in these places. Originally, the embankment didn’t even have a proper name and was called simply Embankment or Old Town Embankment.

It was not until around 1894 that it was named František Embankment according to Franz Joseph I. From 1919 to 1952 it was called Masaryk Embankment (with the exception of 1940-1945, when it became part of the Vltava Embankment). Since 1952, it has been called the Smetana Embankment.


The first records about the Old Town Water Tower (originally made of wood) date back to the beginning of the 15th century. As the workers in the tower used to use open fire to melt frozen water in the pipes during winter, the tower has been damaged by fire many times. But fire was not the only element the tower had to fight against. The others were floods and icebergs as well as attacks by foreign intruders.

Its current look comes from 1577, or more precisely in 1878 when the tower got another floor and the tower clock. Ten years later a new neo-Gothic roof was added. The tower served its purpose until 1880.

Novotny FootbridgeThe neighbouring white water house used to contain a device that pumped water to the water tower. It was used from 1883 until 1913. Its facade is decorated by black-and-white sgraffitoes depicting the defence of the Old Prague against Swedish troops in 1868.

A large reconstruction of the house at the beginning of the 20th century was made for the Bedrich Smetana Museum. The museum was open on 12th May 1936, now it’s part of the National Museum.

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See also Yellow Penguins (visit link)

Physical Address: Smetana Embankment Prague, Czech Republic Description of Postcard Location: Smetana Embankment Related Web Site: Not listed Parking Coordinates: Not Listed

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