Prague in Plain Sight #2 - The Šitka Tower

If you continue walking past the Kranner Fountain towards the Dancing House, you’ll not miss the Šitkovská (Šitka) Water Tower on the right-hand side of the road (Masarykovo Nábřeží). This tower was named for one of the original mill owners that used to crowd the riverfront. It supplied water from the Vltava to the upper New Town.

Šitka Tower from Jiráskův most

The current tower dates back to 1588-1591; other towers existed on the same site but were destroyed by fire. The onion shaped dome was a later addition in 1648, following damage from the Thirty Years’ War. The waterworks went out of operation in 1880 and the tower was threatened with demolition.

Šitka Tower with Prague Castle in the background

Václav Havel, the first democratically elected president of Czechoslovakia, probably wished it had been, as the top floor was a spying spot for the communist Secret Police for many years as it had the perfect view of his house, which was monitored 24 hours a day in the 1970's to see who was visiting, when, and for how long.

Although you can easily get to the tower along the main embankment, a more interesting route is to cross the little bridge onto Slovansky ostrov (Slav Island) and approach the tower through the park. Head right down to the end of the island and you can make your way back up to the road via the staircase under the tower.

The Tower from Slav Island

Inscription on the rear of the tower

The building alongside the tower houses an art gallery (Galerie Mánes) and a little cafe restaurant.