Podolí – a Prague district associated with water
Podolí is part of Prague 4 and spreads out on the right bank of the Vltava between Braník, Vyšehrad, Pankrác and Smíchov on the other side of the river.
Court of the royal chapter house
First mention of Podolí dates back to 1222. It was formerly an independent municipality, the court of the royal chapter house at Vyšehrad which the surrounding vineyards belonged to. In the 1780s, Podolí was made up of about 50 buildings, home to greengrocers, small-scale farmers and fishermen.
Podolí has several buildings which are famous beyond the borders not only of the district, but also Prague itself.
Podolí waterworks
The Podolí waterworks are a very important technological building designed by Antonín Engel which supplies water to many households in Prague from the River Želivka. It is also sometimes nicknamed the “cathedral”. This luxury building dating back to the 1920s is a protected heritage site. At that time, it represented a large-scale construction project including a machine room with pumps, an administrative building and filtration station.
A place where the people of Prague head to have fun and to relax
Work on construction of the Podolí swimming stadium in the former Podolí limestone quarry began in 1959 according to designs by Richard Podzemný and was opened to the public in 1965. You will currently find there an indoor swimming pool (50 metres) and two outdoor pools (50 and 33 metres). Apart from this, visitors can have fun on the water slide, paddling pool, saunas, solariums and fitness centre etc.
Another place which the people of Prague visit in great numbers every year is the luxurious Žluté lázně complex on the banks of the River Vltava, which offers many sporting and cultural options.
Other important buildings of the last century
There are a lot of luxurious and architecturally highly prized villas dating back to the 1920s and 1930s in Podolí. The architect Eva Jiřičná even lived in one of them during her time.
You will also find here an example of socialist realism: the complex of the university halls of residence for the Czech Technical University with its typical monumental structure adorned with statues on a construction theme. Construction work on the complex began in 1953 and it was designed for 1,500 students.
Find a moment of time for yourself and set out for this interesting district of Prague where you will certainly find various inspirational and luxurious little spots.
