Old Town Water Tower, Gothic water tower in Old Town, Czech Republic.

The Old Town Water Tower is a stone structure with Gothic, Gothic Revival, and Renaissance elements that rises above the surroundings. The structure shows different architectural styles that came together over centuries.

A wooden water tower stood here from the late 15th century, feeding Vltava water to the Old Town fountains. Swedes damaged it in 1648 during their attack on Charles Bridge, it was rebuilt in 1762, hit again in 1848 and burned in 1878. The sandstone core dates from 1577; the neo-Gothic rebuilding of 1878–1888 added a storey, four clock faces and the present roof.

The tower shapes the Old Town streetscape and shows how medieval Prague integrated practical needs into architectural design. You can see today how the old city was organized around such structures.

The tower sits in the heart of the historic district and is easily reached on foot. The best time to visit is on quieter days when the area is not crowded.

The tower's sandstone blocks were cut like those of the nearby Charles Bridge, and its core dates to 1577. In winter, frozen pumping gear was thawed with open fire, a practice that repeatedly set the wooden tower ablaze. The reservoir sat 31 metres up, feeding Old Town fountains by gravity.