The New Mill Water Tower is a cultural monument. The monument recently underwent complete renovations and was opened to the public for the first time ever in 2017. The tower was built in the Baroque style in 1658 on what remained of the original Renaissance tower, destroyed by a flood in 1655. It supplied water to the lower New Town of Prague. The water from the river was first mechanically pumped into a reservoir located at the top of the tower, then it descended down a wooden pipe through the shaft in the tower to the ground floor, whence it was distributed through another pipe to the town fountains and houses. The tower served its original purpose until 1877. Its original function has been preserved in the symbol of the mill wheel, which we use to present the tower. The monument recently underwent complete renovations and was opened to the public for the first time ever in 2017. The interior is home to a thematically unique exhibition titled “Prague is Burning”. The concept makes maximum use of multimedia elements – visitors are introduced to the role of water towers, the theme of fire or the stories of Prague fire-fighters through video mapping, animations, video art and virtual reality. The highlight of the exposition is access to the observation deck, which offers a panoramic view of Prague. Because of the observation deck, which is located on the top floor of the building, the monument is considered to be Prague’s first ever lookout tower.
