Powder Tower, Prague

The Powder Tower is a striking Gothic gateway that once marked an original entrance into Prague's Old Town. Begun in 1475, it stands where the royal coronation route toward Prague Castle traditionally began, though construction stalled and its ornate stonework was completed only in the nineteenth century. Its name recalls a later period when it stored gunpowder. Visitors climb the internal staircase to a gallery overlooking the surrounding streets, while the blackened facade is dense with sculpted saints and heraldic detail.