Novotného lávka, Footbridge and street in Old Town, Czech Republic

Novotného lávka is a footbridge and a riverside street in Prague's Old Town, running along the Vltava River and linking the riverbank to the historic center. Along the waterfront side, a row of cafes, restaurants and small shops lines the route.

Ten mills stood here by 1396, among them Štěpánkův, Červenkův and Trnkův. A wooden Old Town water tower was built by the footbridge around 1489 and replaced by the stone tower in 1577. In 1885 the crossing was renamed for miller Karel Novotný (1827–1900) in recognition of his role in establishing an iron footbridge.

At the foot of the footbridge stands a former waterworks building that now houses the Smetana Museum, dedicated to the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana. Inside, visitors can see instruments, manuscripts and personal objects from his life.

The footbridge sits just a short walk from Charles Bridge and is easy to reach on foot from the Old Town Square. The riverside path here connects naturally to longer walks along the Vltava, making it a good starting point for exploring the waterfront.

The westernmost building, the Old Town Waterworks, was rebuilt in 1883 to Antonín Wiehl's design with sgraffito by Mikoláš Aleš, František Ženíšek and Jan Koula; since 12 May 1936 it has housed the Bedřich Smetana Museum. A statue of the composer by Josef Malejovský was added in front of it in 1984.