Water towers are a characteristic vertical visual element of today’s townscapes and rural landscapes. We encounter them in urban residential areas, industrial zones, but they are also decisive in the silhouette of villages. Their task is most often to ensure the supply of drinking water to the population, but we often encounter water towers belonging to industrial, railway or agricultural plants.In terms of their appearance, most water towers are simple engineering creations, but in some cases, the creators also placed emphasis on the aesthetic design of the structure.Historical water towers have survived from the 19^thcentury, they were built using traditional construction techniques, usually with historicizing architecture. A significant part of the memorial material comes from the period between the two world wars, which is the time of the construction of early reinforced concrete structures; the appearance of the buildings is also determined by this structure. In the second half of the 20^thcentury, the material of the towers continued to be reinforced concrete, but dynamic, architecturally sophisticated formal solutions were more common.Our study analyses the historical development of water towers, including their structural development, changes in form, and role in the settlement or landscape.