What's in a Prague street name

Every street in Prague, one by one.

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I could talk about myself for ages, or I could point out that https://english.radio.cz/ed-ley-englishman-recording-stories-pragues-streets-one-one-8806941 is over two years old but still largely stands (other than the Twitter links).

Category: Embankments

  • Prague 4, day 137: Podolské nábřeží

    Podolské nábřeží has existed in its current form since 1990. From 1904 to 1906, the part of the embankment leading from the Vyšehrad Tunnel (mentioned on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/26/prague-2-day-122-podskalska/) to Podolská (which will get its own post in a couple of days) was called Vyšehradské nábřeží, ie the Vyšehrad Embankment. From 1906 to 1924, it was named…

  • Prague 1, day 257: Nábřeží Ludvíka Svobody

    Originally published on X on 15 June 2024. ‘Nábřeží’ = ‘Embankment’. Ludvík Svoboda was born in Hroznatín, a village in Vysocina Region, in 1895. His father died a year later (apparently after being kicked by a horse), and his mother remarried in 1898. He attended the Agricultural School in Velké Meziříčí, and was then called…

  • Prague 1, day 221: Dvořákovo nábřeží

    Originally published on X on 7 May 2024. Antonín Leopold Dvořák was born in Nelahozeves, in Mělník District, in 1841, as the eldest of nine children. He started learning the violin at the age of six, also studying music theory, piano and organ during his schooldays. In 1857, he went to Prague to study at…

  • Prague 1, day 210: Alšovo nábřeží (Aleš Embankment)

    Originally published on X on 26 April 2024. Mikoláš Aleš was born in Mirotice, in Southern Bohemia, in 1852. He started drawing at the age of four, later taking up painting. In 1869, he enrolled in Prague’s Academy of Fine Arts. He was later expelled (in 1876) after taking part in a demonstration against a…

  • Prague 1, day 156: Smetanovo nábřeží (Smetana Embankment)

    Originally published on X on 27 February 2024. Bedřich Smetana (baptised as Fridrich) was born in Litomyšl in 1824. His father František was a prolific brewer (and played violin in a quartet) while his mother Barbora was a relative of the Baroque composer Jiří Ignác Linek (and was a dancer). Bedřich, meanwhile, started violin and…

  • Prague 1, day 89: Malostranské nábřeží

    Originally published on X on 18 December 2023. Malostranské is the adjective to denote Malá Strana, which we’re about three days away from leaving before we head over to the other side of the river. And a nábřeží is an embankment. The name ‘Malostranské nábřeží’ has been applied since 1905. This was about 18 years…

  • Prague 2, day 125: Rašínovo nábřeží

    Originally published on X on 15 March 2023. This embankment was formed in 1951 from the joining of two separate streets (see later for details of the multiple name changes). Alois Rašín was born in Nechanice, near Hradec Králové, in 1867. He went to Prague to study medicine at Charles University, but then switched to…