What's in a Prague street name

Every street in Prague, one by one.

1925

  • Prague 3, day 29: V Zahrádkách

    Originally published on Twitter on 22 May 2022. V Zahrádkách was built in 1925. Road leading off Koněvova in ‘not named after a Hussite’ shocker. V Zahrádkách translates as as ‘in the gardens’. But a zahrádka is smaller than a zahrada (the standard term for ‘garden’). So it’s a small garden, a back garden, or, Continue reading

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  • Prague 3, day 10: Na Vápence

    Originally published on 3 May 2022. Na Vápence was built in 1925. Vápenka translates as ‘lime works’ or ‘limekiln’; it was also the name of a farmstead lying where the street is now. Presumably there was formerly a limestone quarry in the area, hence the name of the settlement. Apparently it stretched across Židovské pece Continue reading

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  • Prague 3, day 9: Za Žižkovskou vozovnou

    Originally published on Twitter on 2 May 2022. Za Žižkovskou vozovnou was built in 1925. The name is fairly unambiguous this time: ‘behind Žižkov Depot’. Vozovna Žižkov / Žižkov Depot is one of Prague’s seven tram depots, and the second-oldest, as it was built in 1912. It’s the only depot to have a circular track Continue reading

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  • Prague 3, day 8: Na Hlídce

    Originally published on Twitter on 1 May 2022. Na Hlídce was built in 1925. It’s the same story as yesterday’s: when this area of Prague (Balkán) was urbanised after World War I, many of the inhabitants were state employees and the street name reflected their jobs. Na hlídce means ‘on watch’ or ‘on guard’. The Continue reading

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  • Prague 3, day 7: Strážní

    Originally posted on Twitter on 30 April 2022. Strážní was built in 1925. It’s also the name of a nearby tram stop. The area to the north-east of here (and immediately north of all the streets we’ve covered so far) is known as ‘Balkán’. It wasn’t urbanised until after World War I and most of Continue reading

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  • Prague 3, day 6: Hraniční

    Originally published on Twitter on 29 April 2022. Hraniční was built in 1925. ‘Border Street’ is so called because it lies on the border between the districts of Žižkov and Vysočany. I’m very much guilty of assuming that Praha 3 = Žižkov and Žižkov alone, but no, it’s got parts of Vinohrady, Vysočany and Strašnice Continue reading

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