Hydroelectric power plant in Písek

On the evening of June 23, 1887, around ten o'clock, thanks to the electrician and inventor František Křižík, several arched lamps were lit in the center of Písek, making this South Bohemian town a history of one of the first towns in Bohemia to use electric lighting. At that time, the lamps were powered by a steam-powered dynamo, which was only a temporary solution provided by a locomotive. A year later, a completely new hydroelectric power plant was built on the site of Podskalský mlýn, today the oldest facility of its kind in our country. The dynamo-driven water wheel was initially used to produce the current, but since 1901 this solution has been replaced by two Francis turbines.

Extensive reconstructions of the power plant were completed in 1994, followed by re-commissioning. In June 1997, when the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the lighting of the first light bulb in Písek took place, a museum of city lighting with a still functional facility was opened to the public.

The highest power of the turbines, which still work today, is 2 x 50 hp. Originally, the power plant supplied the network with an alternating current of 150 V, but since 1926 it has been changed to three-phase.

Today, the power plant building is used as a museum of water engines and lighting. In August 2002, the building was flooded to a height of two to four meters during the floods. The power plant in Písek is open to visitors from April to October.

Author: Andrea Štyndlová