From railway relic to modern attraction: A historic water tower gets a new lease of life

Bearing witness to the bygone era of steam locomotives, which required huge amounts of water to operate, more than 40 railway water towers can be found across Slovakia. Known as vodojem in Slovak, most have fallen into disrepair, but some of these technical monuments have been given a new lease of life.

One such example is the tower in Spišská Nová Ves in eastern Slovakia, which has recently been transformed into a modern, sustainable attraction called Vodojem for locals and visitors to the region.

"We have created a new landmark in the Spiš region by turning a water tower into a multifunctional centre. Sometimes, we don’t need to build new attractions; instead, a sensitive approach to what already exists is enough. That is exactly what happened with this water tower. A structure that was originally purely functional has been transformed into an experiential centre where visitors can enjoyably spend their free time," says Lenka Vargová Jurková, director of the Košice Región Turizmus tourism organisation.

The 27-metre-high water tower now features a railway history exhibition, shared coworking office spaces, a café, a gallery showcasing works by leading regional artists, and an observation tower.

The railway water tower was originally put into operation in 1953 to supply water to steam locomotives running between Košice in eastern Slovakia and Bohumín in Czechia. It later served as a washing facility for diesel locomotives, before its use was gradually phased out in the 1970s. Over the following three decades, it fell into disrepair.

The entire project took seven years to prepare, beginning with the purchase of the water tower from railway infrastructure operator ŽSR. The restoration work itself lasted approximately two and a half years.

The tower marks the first phase of a wider restoration project. Next year, the aim is to renovate another historic building on the site, originally constructed in the 1950s as part of the railway depot. It will house an exhibition on the history of railways in the Spiš region.