The Kranner´s fountain is a Neo-Gothic monument by the Vltava river on the Smetana Embankment designed by the architec Josef Kranner. The allegorical sculptures were made by Josef Max.
The foundation stone was ceremoniously laid in 1845 though the revolutionary year 1848 meant that the final installation of the statue of Franz Joseph I. took place quietly and inconspiciously in 1850. Not surprisingly the statue became quite unpopular with the locals and after Czechoslovakia declared independence on the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I it was removed. It is now stored in the lapidary of the National Museum.
The fountain was completely reconstructed in 2003 and is now fully functional. The whole park surrounding it is a popular place with both tourists and locals, there are several benches where you can relax and enjoy the view of the city.
