In the Prabuty market square, everyone's attention is drawn to the beautiful Roland fountain, in Romanesque-Byzantine style, moved to Prabuty from Berlin in the 1920s. At first glance, however, it is difficult to guess that the real tourist attraction is located a few meters below.
Most of the city’s buildings at that time were made of wood, and most of the buildings had thatched roofs. The waterworks ran in vaulted corridors under the market square and consisted of a network of wooden and cast iron pipes that carried water to the wells in the market square. They are located at a depth of 3.5 m. They were made using the open-pit method.
Underground route, photo: UMiG Prabuty
In the first half of 18th century, water supply system was built in Prabuty that provide residents easy access to good water. This water was to come from the nearby Lake Mlynskie, to the market it flew through a hundred-meter length of the channel. This channel, having reached the market branched leading to some underground tanks located in the corners of the market. These tanks are about 4 meters in diameter and over 5 meters of height. The water is extracted to the surface by means of manual pumps. This system worked smoothly later to be replaced with modern waterworks.
Underground route, photo: UMiG Prabuty
The entrance to them is located in the foundations of the former city walls from the eastern side (at Reja Street). They have the shape of a large letter “F” turned to the left. The canal walls are made of red brick, are 70 to 80 cm thick and have barrel vaults. The height of the channels ranges from 170 to 230 cm and the width from 120 to 130 cm. The length of the main corridor is 120 m, and the eastern and western branches are 45 and 42 m respectively. Each branch begins and ends with a reservoir that can be viewed through special openings.
After the waterworks were built, there were wells at the top of each reservoir, replaced in the XIXth century by pumps. The diameter of each tank is about 4 m, and the height from the base to the street level is over 5 m. In the canals we can see old hooks and recesses for lamps and torches. It is one of the few monuments of Prussian engineering in this area. After leaving the waterworks, we have a view of the buildings of the former city sugar factory dating back to 1883. The visible meadows are the site of the second lake surrounding the city (Mlynskie Lake). The waterworks were built with a significant subsidy from the King of Prussia, Frederick William I, who allocated 10,000 thalers for this purpose. The route is available to visitors from the beginning of June to the end of August. Detailed information – Prabuty Center of Culture and Sports.
