Hradčany
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Prague 1, day 50: Staré zámecké schody
Originally published on X on 26 October 2023. These supposed ‘old castle steps’ have been around since the 17th century. Which, sure, makes them old, but doesn’t make them older than the supposedly ‘new’ castle steps discussed on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/08/prague-1-day-40-zamecke-schody/. They were given a reconstruction in 1835-7, and have had their current name since then. They’re Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 30: Strahovské nádvoří (Strahov Courtyard)
Originally published on X on 28 September 2023. For the beginnings of Strahov, take a look at yesterday’s thread and pretend it’s 1143: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/08/prague-1-day-29-strahovska/. A little bit of tribute should also be paid to Jindřich Zdík, bishop of Olomouc from 1126 to 1150, who was as instrumental in founding the monastery as Vladislav II was. Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 29: Strahovská
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 Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 28: Na náspu
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 Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 27: Dlabačov
Originally published on X on 25 September 2023. The southern, Prague 1 side doesn’t have a street sign. Jan Dlabač was born in Cerhenice, near Kolín, in 1758. In 1771, he became a choirboy at Břevnov Monastery, then becoming head chorister at Strahov Monastery four years later. After studying philosophy, mathematics and physics at Prague Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 25: Promenáda Raoula Wallenberga
Originally published on X on 23 September 2023. Raoul Wallenberg was born on Lidingö, an island in the Stockholm Archipelago, in 1912. His father had died of cancer three months earlier. His grandfather was, at this time, Swedish Ambassador to Japan, and made it his mission to show Raoul the world. Wallenberg studied in Paris, Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 24: Úvoz
Originally published on X on 22 September 2023. An úvoz is a ‘sunken lane’ or a ‘hollow way’. The longer name for one of these is an úvozová cesta. ‘One of those’ being a road which cuts into the terrain, and is therefore a good bit lower than the land on either side of it. Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 23: Radnické schody
Originally published on X on 21 September 2023. You may remember me mentioning the former town hall in Loretánská yesterday, largely because it’s awesome: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/08/prague-1-day-22-loretanska/ In Czech, a town hall is called a radnice, because a council (rada) would meet there (see also: the German Rathaus). The adjective from radnice is radnický, and schody are Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 22: Loretánská
Originally published on X on 20 September 2023. We talked about Loreto and The Loretas recently: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/07/prague-1-day-17-loretanske-namesti/. But this is Hradčany, so we can happily move on to talking about beautiful buildings instead. Number 1 is Hradčany Town Hall, built around 1600. It fulfilled this role until 1784, when the four historical districts of Prague Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 20: Nový Svět (New World)
Originally published on X on 18 September 2023. Nový Svět was originally a village, developing outside Hradčany in the early 1300s, and, in 1360, being attached to it as ordered by Charles IV. Not surprisingly, many of its residents worked at the Castle. And its attachment to Hradčany is why it became known as a Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 19: Keplerova
Originally published on X on 13 September 2023. Johannes Kepler was born Weil der Stadt, the “Gateway to the Black Forest”, in 1571, and was the son of a mercenary and a herbalist. Observing the Great Comet of 1577, and a lunar eclipse in 1580, he soon became fascinated by astronomy. The picture below is Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 18: Černínská
Originally published on X on 12 September 2023. Černínská was built around or before 1700. From the 1700s, this was known as Nový Svět (New World), as were current-day Nový Svět and Kapucínská (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/07/prague-1-day-16-kapucinska/). It then became Zadní (Lower) Nový Svět in the early 1800s, later being treated as part of Kapucínská before gaining its Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 17: Loretánské náměstí
Originally published on X on 11 September 2023. Let’s start this one in Italy, where Loreto, on the Adriatic coast, and with a population of about 12,000, houses the Basilica della Santa Casa, which some Catholics believe was inhabited by the Virgin Mary. Rather than being a nice Italian holiday home for the… Mary and Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 16: Kapucínská
Originally published on X on 10 September 2023. The Ordo Fratrum Minorum Capuccinorum / Order of Friars Minor Capuchin was founded in 1525, when a friar called Matteo Serafini decided that friars should go back to behaving in a way which their founder, St Francis of Assisi, would’ve approved of. Persecuted for this, they were Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 15: Kanovnická
Originally published on X on 9 September 2023. A kanovník – or, alternatively, a kapitulár – is a canon, i.e. a clergyman who belongs to a specific chapter, or who performs liturgical functions in a certain church. The ‘certain church’ in this case is quite an important one – St. Vitus Cathedral (as it was Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 14: Ke Hradu
Originally published on X on 8 September 2023. So this should be a brief one: ‘Ke Hradu’ means ‘Towards the Castle’, which is exactly where this street leads (depending which direction you’re going in, obvs). One achievement of the street was to make the Royal Route, i.e. the journey that kings had to travel on Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 13: Hradčanské náměstí
Originally published on X on 7 September 2023. In the 1230s, Prague’s Old Town became a municipality. In the 1250s, the Lesser Town, better known as Malá Strana, would follow. Meanwhile, the area to the west of Prague Castle remained forested, with a road leading to Strahov, and then to Břevnov. This would change in Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 12: U Brusnice
Originally published on X on 3 September 2023. U Brusnice was built in 1910. Brusnice is a stream which has three sources, all in the vicinity of Břevnov Monastery. The most important one, Vojtěška, is named after St Vojtěch (or Adalbert of Prague), the country’s patron saint. Legend has it that this was the spot Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 