Podskalí Custom House at Výtoň, Museum in Výtoň, Prague, Czech Republic
The Podskalí Custom House at Výtoň is a two-story stone building on the Vltava embankment in Prague 2, at Rašínovo nábřeží 412. Its rusticated portal and interior alterations date from around 1600. Since 1930 it has housed exhibitions on rafting, freight and passenger shipping on the Vltava, including a model of Podskalí before bridges and embankment walls existed.
The Podskalská celnice was built in the 15th century; its rusticated portal and interior alterations date to around 1600. The city bought the building in 1908 to keep it as a record of life in old Podskalí, and in 1939 it passed to the City of Prague Museum, which opened its first historical exhibition after World War II.
The museum's displays grew out of four themes tied to Podskalí and the Vltava: raft navigation, the district's history, freight shipping and Prague's passenger steamboats. A model shows Podskalí before any bridges or embankment walls existed, and memorabilia recall the Vltavan association, founded in 1871 to support boatmen, fishermen and riverside residents.
The museum is located by the riverside near the Charles Bridge and is easy to reach on foot. The exhibition is inside a compact building, so a visit moves quickly.
The building's name refers to an old tax practice where wood rafts were marked by cutting sections from them. This simple method of marking ownership was common on the river for a long time.
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