What's in a Prague street name

Every street in Prague, one by one.

Category: Concerts

  • Ledařská was built in 1998. A ‘ledař” is someone who works with ice (and so you’d most likely hear the word, these days, in connection with ice hockey). A ‘ledárna’, meanwhile, would be an ‘icehouse’ or an ‘iceworks’. At the turn of the 20th century, the innkeepers of Prague were using the icehouse on Štvanice…

  • Originally published on X on 27 April 2024. Originally, this area was called Rejdiště (more on that in a few days); the square came into being in the 1870s and was called Na Rejdišti. During WW1, it was named náměstí císařovny Zity after Zita of Bourbon-Parma (1892-1989), the final Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary.…

  • Originally published on X on 25 March 2024. From 1383 onwards, the Royal Court, which stood here, was the residence of all Czech kings. This state of affairs lasted for a century, until Vladislav II decided that Prague Castle was a nicer location (see https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/10/10/prague-1-day-181-u-prasne-brany/). The buildings were used for various purposes after that*, at…

  • Originally published on X on 27 September 2023. In 1143, Vladislav II, the second King of Bohemia, founded a monastery. I don’t want to say huge amounts about that right now, because it’ll leave me with nothing to say tomorrow. Originally known as Sion (i.e. Zion), its name had changed to Strahov within a few…