Vodovod města Košíř Water supply

Welcome to the unique technical monument. Right now, you're standing in front of the historic water pipeline of the town of Košíř and you put on headphones to see the story of this remarkable work. Take a look around you and try to see the atmosphere of a place where useful human work combines with the history of our landscape. Right in front of you is a building that takes its appearance at first sight and reminds us of the time when the development of municipalities required completely new technical solutions.

Let's go back in time to the early 20th century. It was written in the year of a thousand and nine hundred and four, when a project was officially submitted to the office of the county capital at Smíchov for approval, which was to change the lives of the people in this area forever. Then everything went very fast. In the year one thousand and nine hundred and five the construction itself took place and in October of the same year the entire water pipeline was inaugurated. This entire extensive system was designed and built by a well-known company led by Mr Karel Kress. The main objective was to ensure sufficient quality groundwater for the municipality, which was at that time absolutely essential for the health and development of the population.

Now pay attention to the very construction that is within your reach. You are standing in front of the plaza part of this work, which forms a solid two-chamber water. When you look at his facade, you can admire his artwork, which bears the elements of non-Renaissance architecture. Mr. Karel Kress and his builders were able to combine the purely technical purpose of the construction with aesthetic beauty, which was very typical of the construction at the time. Vodovod města Košíř is not just this building you see in front of you. The whole system is much longer and connects two different places. Another important part is located in Zlichín, where underneath the ground it hides a sink. This Chinese part consists of a special drainage shaft, supplemented by a collection well and ventilation shafts, which ensure the proper operation of the entire underground facility.

While the names of specific workers and builders from day-to-day operations have been lost in the memory of time over the centuries, the biggest personality associated with this construction remains the builder and author of the Karel Kress design, whose company gave this place its present face. This project shows how much care the local authorities gave to the development of infrastructure. It was not just a simple construction, but a thought-through work that served people for many decades and protected their health through the supply of clean water.

Let's see how this technical monument lived in modern times. For decades, it served its purpose until, at the turn of the millennium, society realised the great historical value of this place. In the year one thousand nine hundred and one the water pipeline was entered on the list of protected monuments and gained the status of a real cultural monument of the Czech Republic. However, this did not end the protection. The experts knew that the whole work was much larger, and therefore in the year 1000 ten a fundamental decision was made to extend the scope of the monument in order to protect both the Koslang building and all related parts in the wider surroundings.

Now, try to close your eyes for a moment and imagine the excitement of a thousand and nine hundred and five, when the workers brought in the building materials, when the work tools first sounded, and when people first felt certain that their community had a permanent source of clean drinking water. Vodovod města Košíř is a silent witness to human skills, technical progress and public welfare.

We hope you enjoyed our tour together and that you will take a nice experience. Thank you for listening to our guide, and we invite you to explore further interesting places around. Goodbye.