1925
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Prague 4, day 125: Doudova
Doudova was built in 1925. Václav Douda was born in Podolí in 1886. He qualified as a teacher, while also training, and acting in a management capacity, at the Podolí Sokol (guide to the Sokols on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/26/prague-2-day-114-sokolska/). In 1913, he was part of the Czech team at the 6th World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, which took Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 124: Pod Klaudiánkou
Pod Klaudiánkou was built in 1925. A pleasingly short one today, as I can just point you in the direction of https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/06/14/prague-4-day-117-na-klaudiance/. So, let’s take advantage of that and tell another story, that of the ‘číslo popisné’, literally ‘descriptive number’, AKA the unique number assigned to each building in Prague in addition to its street-specific Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 114: Na Topolce
Na Topolce was built in 1925. Once upon a time, there was a vineyard around here. It was called Topolka. According to legend, water from the spring here was used to serve Vyšehrad (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/26/prague-2-day-118-vysehradska/). At some point, the local well also became known as Topolka; there are rumours that Libuše used drink from it (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/23/prague-2-day-93-libusina/), Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 53: Svážná
Svážná was built in 1925. ‘Svažovat se’ is a verb translating as ‘slope (down)’, ‘descend’ or ‘dip’. And that’s exactly what this street does, towards central Nusle. The associated noun – ‘svah’ – translates as ‘slope’, as in ‘lyžařský svah’, which is a ski slope or a ski run. It can also be translated as ‘hillside’. Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 52: Nad Nuslemi
Nad Nuslemi was built in 1925. It is, quite literally, ‘above Nusle’, and also serves as a reminder that, in Czech, Nusle is plural. I thought this might be because it was formed by the combination of Upper (Horní) and Lower (Dolní) Nusle… but it seems those were already plural too. One famous resident of Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 50: Vyšší
Vyšší was built in 1925. If you’re walking up a hill, you might start in the lower parts (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/03/16/prague-4-day-48-dolni/). And then end up in the upper parts (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/03/17/prague-4-day-49-horni/). But sometimes, that’s not the peak, and you may end up even higher – which is exactly what Vyšší means. For some vocabulary – thankfully less filled Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 49: Horní
Horní was built in 1925. The street sign pic is temporarily stolen from Prague 4’s website, because I can’t find the one I took. Readers of yesterday’s post (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/03/16/prague-4-day-48-dolni/) may not be too surprised to know that ‘lower’ is followed by ‘upper’ when it isn’t followed by ‘lowest’. Or, therefore, that the ‘horní komora’ or ‘horní Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 48: Dolní
Dolní was built in 1925. Two streets ago, we talked about Jaurisova (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/02/26/prague-4-day-46-jaurisova/). Jaurisova goes up a hill from east to west. The first street leading off Jaurisova, when heading upwards, is this one. And ‘dolní’ is Czech for ‘lower’. I should warn you that this is part of a trilogy, so don’t go expecting Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 34: V podluží
V podluží was built in 1925. Yesterday, we discussed how a ‘luh’ is a meadow, and that the area around here once had that name too (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/02/13/prague-4-day-33-v-luhu/). We’re not straying at all far from that story today, because ‘podluží’ would translate as ‘the area under the meadow’. Shove ‘Podluží’ into Wikipedia, and you’ll find out Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 33: V luhu
V luhu was built in 1925. A ‘luh’ is a riparian forest, i.e. a forest that’s next to a body of water. It can also be translated as ‘meadow’, and it seems that that’s what the area round here was once known as. I would apologise for the days on which these posts are short, Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 32: Pod vilami
Pod vilami was built in 1925. The street name translates as ‘below the villas’, and, well, that’s pretty self-explanatory. The corner of Pod vilami and Vladimírova features St Wenceslas Church (Kostel svatého Václava), built in 1898, the year in which Nusle, not yet part of Prague, was elevated to the status of royal town. Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 143: Náměstí Pod Emauzy
Originally published on X on 2 April 2023. Náměstí Pod Emauzy was built in 1925. In 1347, a year after the founding of Prague’s Old Town, Karel IV received permission from the Pope to found a Benedictine monastery in Podskalí. In the 1370s, the monastery was supplemented by a church: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/31/prague-2-day-140-pod-slovany/ Karel wanted the monastery Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 141: Na Poříčním právu
Originally published on X on 31 March 2023. Na Poříčním právu was built in 1925. A řeka is a river. This leads to the adjective říční, as in říční koryto (riverbed), říční síť (river system) and říční přístav (river port). Put a prefix onto říční, and you get poříční, another adjective which also means ‘river’ Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 124: Ladova
Originally published on X on 14 March 2023. Ladova was built in 1925. Until 1961, this was ‘V Ohradách’, ‘In the Enclosures’ (approx). Until the 19th century, there were warehouses here where firewood and wood for construction purposes were stored. Josef Lada was born in Hrusice (nowadays in Prague-East) in 1887. An accident at the Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 172: Horní Stromka
Originally published on Twitter on 12 October 2022. Horní Stromka was built in 1925. There’s no street sign (more on that later). For the story of Horní Stromka, please go back 24 hours to https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/03/08/prague-3-day-171-v-horni-stromce/. One thing I’ve learned in the last 172 days (don’t worry, there aren’t that many to go) is that whoever Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 170: Kouřimská
Originally published on Twitter on 10 October 2022. Kouřimská was built in 1925. Kouřim is *another* small town (1,900 people) in the Kolín district. The name is one accent mark away from being ‘kouřím’ (meaning ‘I smoke’), and, according to legend, Bohemian prince Lech (died 805) lit a fire here to let his ancestor Čech Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 168: Votická
Originally published on Twitter on 8 October 2022. Votička was built in 1925. Votice is a town of 4,500 people in the Benešov District, about 60 km from Prague. It’s within a mountainous region known as ‘Česká Sibiř’ / ‘Czech Siberia’. It was first mentioned in writing in 1359, but had probably existed for over Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 165: U Vinohradské nemocnice
Originally published on Twitter on 5 October 2022. U Vinohradské nemocnice was built in 1925 and translates as ‘By Vinohrady Hospital’. What is now known as the University Hospital of Královské Vinohrady (Fakultní nemocnice Královské Vinohrady) was opened in 1902, and, a year later, was named ‘Všeobecná veřejná nemocnice císaře a krále Františka Josefa’. Catchy. Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 164: Soběslavská
Originally published on Twitter on 4 October 2022. Soběslavská was built in 1925. Soběslav is a town of 6,800 inhabitants, 18 kilometres south of Tábor in South Bohemia. It was first mentioned in 1293, when its castle and surroundings belonged to the wealthy Rosenberg family. Key historical events include Václav IV (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/02/26/prague-3-day-153-lucemburska/) being imprisoned in Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 163: Hollarovo náměstí
Originally published on Twitter on 3 October 2022. Hollarovo náměstí was built around 1925, remaining nameless until 1955. Václav Hollar was born to a wealthy family in Prague in 1607. An artist from a young age, he was introduced to the practice of engraving when he was 18. In 1627, he left Bohemia and moved Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 