What's in a Prague street name

Every street in Prague, one by one.

  • Prague 4, day 279: Polední 

    Polední was built in 1925. ‘Polední’ is the adjective from ‘poledne’, midday or noon. You might be reading this on your ‘polední přestávka’ (lunch break). In Polish (but not in Czech), ‘południe’ means not only ‘noon’ but ‘south’ (and, yes, the word for ‘midnight’, ‘północ’ also means ‘north’). This is the first in a series of Continue reading

    , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 278: Na výspě

    Na výspě was built in 1930. No historical novels today: a ‘výspa’ is a promontory, outpost or headland, and the street is located on one. Continue reading

    , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 277: Havlovického 

    Havlovického was built in 1935. Josef Regner was born in Havlovice, near Trutnov, in 1794, the son of a miller (his mill, Regnerův mlýn, is still standing) and fervent Czech patriot. He studied philosophy at Charles Ferdinand University in Prague, and then theology at the seminary in Hradec Králové. He first served as a priest in Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 276: Novodvorská

    Novodvorská was created in 1935 through the merger of two streets: Hlavní (Main) and Vozová (which is related to ‘vůz’, meaning wagon). Once upon a time, there was a farmstead (in present-day Lhotka, also in Prague 4). Its name was Nový dvůr (New Court). It later became a monastery. After that, it served, at different Continue reading

    , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 275: Ludvíkova

    Ludvíkova was built in 1935. Josef Myslimír Ludvík was born in Dolany, near Náchod, in 1796. After studying theology at the seminary in Hradec Králové, he was ordained as a priest in 1819. A year later, he became chaplain of Náchod Castle, staying in that role until 1832. He devoted much of his time to Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 274: Vítovcova

    Vítovcova was named in 1973. From 1927 to 1935, the street was called U rybníka, after a nearby and erstwhile pond. From 1935 to 1973, it was called V Hodkovičkách, which presumably caused confusion, as it’s not directly connected to the other street in the area called that. More on that name when we get Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 273: Vavřenova

    Vavřenova was built in 1968. In 1878, Alois Jirásek (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/01/prague-2-day-154-jiraskovo-namesti/) published a novel called Filosofská historie (Philosophical History). It’s set in Litomyšl, where Jirásek was living and working as a teacher at the time, and a key theme is the use of Czech and German in everyday life. Tellingly, it is set in 1847 (the Continue reading

    , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 272: Jílovská

    Jílovská was built in 1947. The earliest mention we have of Jílová is from the 1200s, when it was a mining settlement (the writer wanted us to think the document was from 1045, but it turns out that it’s a forgery). In the 1320s, it was described as a ‘royal gold-mining town’; around 1350, Charles Continue reading

    , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 271: Němčická

    Němčická was built at some point between 1973 and 1982 (warning: today’s post is going to remain about this vague). The street is likely to be named after a village called Němčice (whose name, in turn, I assume comes from the fact that its inhabitants were once predominantly German). Unfortunately, there are at least nine Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 270: Nad lesním divadlem 

    Nad lesním divadlem was built in 1968. Behind this street, you’ve got Velký háj (‘The big grove’), a forested area with parkland. Only a small portion is owned by the City of Prague; the rest is in the hands of various private individuals. In 1913, Jan Šimsa, a local doctor, established a ‘lesní divadlo’ – a Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 269: Ohnivcova

    Ohnivcova was built in 1933. We’re still in ‘novels by Alois Jirásek’ territory: between 1887 and 1890, Jirásek published a trilogy called Mezi proudy (Between the Currents), based on real events which occurred between 1381 and 1409. Those real events concerned Czech resistance against German oppression during the reign of Wenceslas IV. As this was Continue reading

    , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 268: Poberova

    Poberova was built in 1935. We’ve been on a bit of a break, so let’s recap some key information. Alois Jirásek was a writer of historical novels and plays; these were written at a time when the Czech nation was seriously (re-)discovering itself. He has a square named after him in Prague 2: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/01/prague-2-day-154-jiraskovo-namesti/. As Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 267: Údolní

    Údolní was built in 1925. At one end of this street, you’ve got a hill with Braník Brewery (no longer brewing) on top of it (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/12/13/prague-4-day-258-nad-branickym-pivovarem/). At the other end, I’m going to assume we’re also on a hill, but will confirm that when we get to the streets around there. Hills or not, the street Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 266: Aksamitova

    Aksamitova was built in 1932. We don’t know anything about Petr Aksamit’s life before 1440, when he was put in command of the Brotherhood / bratříci troops in Upper Hungary (present-day Slovakia). These bratříci were former Hussite fighters, operating as independent units, from 1445 to 1467, not only in today’s Slovakia but in its neighbouring Continue reading

    , , , , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 265: Zálesí

    Zálesí was built in 1925. Zalesí is behind (za) a forest (les). If you want to know what to call that forest, you’re kind of spoiled for choice: you can call it Kunratický les (colloquially: Kunraťák), Krčský les (colloquially: Krčák) or, in its northwest, Michelský les. As we’ll be going through Krč, Michle and Kunratice Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 264: Talafúsova

    Talafúsova was built in 1935. Jan Talafús was born around 1410 in Ostrov, near Chrudim (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/06/24/prague-3-day-177-chrudimska/). Early records of his life are limited, but he is thought to have participated in the Battle of Lipany in 1434 (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/12/23/prague-3-day-120-lipanska/). Within little over a decade, Talafús would be in charge of Ostrov, as well as having inherited Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 263: Na výstupu

    Na výstupu was built in 1925. Anybody who’s ever taken the Prague Metro will know that ‘výstup’ is one of the two things that you have to complete when the doors are closing (or, ideally, slightly before), the other one being ‘nástup’. Anybody who’s ever taken public transport to or from Braník will also know Continue reading

    , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 262: Psohlavců

    Psohlavců was built in 1933. ‘Psohlavci’ would translate as ‘dog-heads’, which may have you hoping that I’m going to write about a film from 1994 or thereabouts which has some of the lowest ratings possible on Rotten Tomatoes, ČSFD, etc., but which you loved when you were ten years old. In which case, sorry to Continue reading

    , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 261: Věkova

    Věkova was built in 1933. After a brief detour, we’re back in ‘characters from novels by Alois Jirásek’ territory. František Ladislav Věk is a Czech patriot in the novel titled, well, F. L. Věk, and described (to an extent) on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/12/02/prague-4-day-247-vrbova/. He is a student – and, later in the novel, a merchant from Dobruška, Continue reading

    , , , ,

  • Prague 4, day 260: Pikovická

    Pikovická was built in 1991. Well, I say ‘built’ – it’d be more accurate to say it already existed in 1991, which was the year it was separated from Modřanská (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/09/29/prague-4-day-185-modranska/). Pikovice is a village on the bank of the Sázava river; the earliest written mention that we have dates back to 1310. It changed hands Continue reading

    , , , , ,