The Powder Tower, Prague

The Powder Tower, a late Gothic town gateway, is one of the most remarkable monuments of medieval Prague. It marked the beginning of the Prague royal route, along which Bohemian kings walked on their coronation procession to Prague Castle.

Work on the present structure began during the reign of King Vladislav II in 1475 and was modelled on the Old Town Bridge Tower, built a century earlier. This gate can trace its origins back to the 11^th century, when the original gate was one of thirteen entrances to Prague’s Old Town. Originally known as the New Tower, its name was changed to the Powder Gate in the 17^th century when it was used to store gunpowder.