Municipal House & Powder Tower
Obecní dům a Prašná brána
A landmark of Art Nouveau architecture beside a Gothic city gate, marking the eastern entrance to the Old Town and the start of the Royal Way.
The Municipal House was built in 1912 and is the pinnacle of Prague's Art Nouveau movement. The Mayor's Hall, decorated with the participation of Alphonse Mucha, and the Smetana Hall, where the Prague Spring Music Festival opens, can be seen on guided tours. The French-style restaurant and café on the ground floor are lavishly decorated. The neighbouring Powder Tower is a Gothic city gate built in 1475, named after the gunpowder stored there in the 17th century, and you can climb it for views of the Old Town. From here, the route along Celetná Street to the Old Town Square and Charles Bridge is the “Royal Way,” the path used by kings' coronation processions for centuries.
Opening hours
Civic Hall 10:00–20:00 (guided tours by reservation); Powder Tower 10:00–19:00
Nearby sights
- Mucha Museum
- Wenceslas Square
- Old Town Square & Astronomical Clock
- Havelské tržiště
- National Museum
- Josefov (Jewish Quarter)
- Head of Franz Kafka
- Clementinum