Other Prague Museums

In the quiet residential neighborhood of Prague 6 you can find the old wastewater treatment plant in Prague – Bubeneč, an important building in the history of architecture, technology, and water management.

Inside this whimsical brick complex you can see how the sewage of Prague was dealt with and appreciate one of the gems of industrial architecture in Prague. It was built between 1901 and 1906 and was used for sewage treatment until 1967. The project of the treatment plant was developed by an engineer of British origin, Sir William Heerlein Lindley. The brick complex has been renovated and features guided tours where you can discover the magic of history with an intriguing tour that starts underground and also showcases two huge stationary steam engines from 1903 that are preserved in working condition, which are demonstrated from time to time. Visitors can see the preserved spaces with the remains of the original technological equipment, both for the own wastewater treatment and related operations (e.g. sludge management) and for ensuring the propulsion of machines (steam engine room and boiler room). To illustrate the interpretation, copies of the original plans and historical photographs from the beginning of the construction of the treatment plant are available to visitors. The tour can also include a ride on a barge in the underground sedimentation tanks. The multi-layered building features a labyrinth of massive underground brick rooms with beautiful arch work and small tunnels of still water underneath. The overall effect of the beautiful brickwork, the oddly shaped rooms and the occasional skylight with ivy growing out of it is pure magic. Furthermore, there is an onsite café, Café Továrna, open daily, where visitors can warm up in winter and get refreshed in the summer months. Another option for refreshments is the seasonal Stokabar in a barn behind the building. The old wastewater treatment plant has been a national cultural monument since 2010 and an ERIH anchor point since 2016. Since 2019, the Bubeneč cleaning plant has been striving to be registered as a UNESCO world cultural and natural heritage site.