Mihulka

In 1483 king Vladislav II Jagiello moved from the Old Town Royal Court to the safety of Prague Castle. At that time he initiated an extensive reconstruction of Prague Castle including building of a new fortification system.

Construction

The beginning of this construction activity was associated with the name of the royal architect Benedict Ried. The rampart on the northern side of the castle was strengthened with a wall from the castle side which included three bastions, or turrets, which are known as Daliborka, White Tower and Powder Tower. The Mihulka tower is 44metres high. The tower was strategically very important later especially after 1522 when the tower gained a new floor. The four-storey turret had several ‘loop-holes’ from which was possible to fire different calibre cannons. The basement featured five ‘loop-holes’ for firing hand guns. It was founded in the late fifteenth century as an artillery bastion. After the fire of 1541, it served as the dwelling and workshop of the gunsmith, the founder and the bell-founder Tomáš Jaroš of Brno.

History Of Mihulka

During the reign of the emperor Rudolph II the tower was used as a laboratory for his alchemists who tried their best to covert lead into gold. One of those famous alchemists was Edward Kelley. During the Thirty Years War, gunpowder was stored in it. Due to the carelessness of the Swedish garrison an explosion in 1649 seriously damaged the tower. Gunpowder was stored in the tower until 1754, after which the tower served as the dwelling of the sacristans of St Vitus Cathedral. At the end of the 1970’s the tower was completely reconstructed. Since 1982 it has been opened to public and used for exhibitions.

Mihulka is only 10 minutes walk from our hostel, stay with us!