What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on X on 26 September 2023.

A násep or násyp is a ’causeway’, ’embankment’ (a železniční násep is a ‘railway embankment’) or ‘rampart’.

Another word for ‘rampart’ is hradba. As in this lot: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/07/prague-1-day-6-marianske-hradby-the-marian-walls/.

When fortifications were built around here, this street was artificially raised. The street was called Na Mariánských hradbech for a while in the 1800s (it got its current name in 1870), despite said fortifications being a bit further north.

Only one house has an entrance on this street, and it was previously lived in by director Karel Kachyňa. Who was clearly a fan of Hradčany: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/08/prague-1-day-20-novy-svet-new-world/.

As you might expect for a street with only one house, it’s also lovely and peaceful and a good little escape from the crowds at the castle.