Praha 1
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Prague 1, day 42: Zámecká
Originally published on the other place on 18 October 2023. A short one today, as befits a short street (only six addresses or thereabouts). Until the 19th century, the street was known as Ke stupňům (‘Towards the stairs’), with said stairs being these: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/08/prague-1-day-40-zamecke-schody/). From 1829, it had the same name as the steps did Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 41: Thunovská
Originally published on X on 17 October 2023. In the 1300s, this area was given the hugely creative and cryptic name of ‘Pod stupni Pražského hradu’ (Under the steps of Prague Castle), and you can read about those steps here: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/08/prague-1-day-40-zamecke-schody/ At some point, the name ‘Kavčí hora’ also appears, which will be hugely distracting Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 40: Zámecké schody
Originally published on X on 16 October 2023. You’ll have been down these (if you planned your sightseeing round Prague sensibly), or up them (if you didn’t). Back in the Middle Ages, there was a road here, aptly called Strmá cesta (Steep Road). At some point, these were replaced by the steps (which have basically Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 39: Karmelitská
Originally published on X on 13 October 2023. This story starts in Mount Carmel, a mountain range on the northern coast of Israel in which the city of Haifa is located. In the 13th century, a group of men settled here and founded the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, living in Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 38: Malostranské náměstí
Originally published on X on 12 October 2023. In 1257, Přemysl Otakar II founded a town here, just below the castle, and gave it the Latin name of Nova civitas sub castro Pragensi (New City under Prague Castle), or just Nova civitas, or – and this is where you may get confused if you’re a Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 37: Nerudova
Originally published on X on 11 October 2023. We’re very much in ‘your friends and family who only visited Prague once have walked along here’ territory now. Jan Nepomuk Neruda was born on Újezd in Malá Strana in 1834. Four years later, his dad opened up a shop at U Dvou slunců (The Two Suns) Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 36: Tržiště
Originally published on X on 10 October 2023. Until the Middle Ages, this was the location of a stream, flowing from Strahov to the Vltava. This was then replaced with a street – Vlašská (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/08/prague-1-day-31-vlasska/). Then, in the late 1700s, the marketplace on Malostranské náměstí was moved to here. And – as you might be Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 35: Břetislavova
Originally published on X on 9 October 2023. And, today, I give you options. OPTION 1 Břetislav was born around 1002, the son of Oldřich and a woman who was not Oldřich’s wife (at least at the time). Dad (https://x.com/ed__ley/status/ed__ley/status/1618142655611047939…) became Duke of Bohemia in 1012, deposing (and blinding*) his brother Jaromír. * You’re welcome Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 34: Jánský vršek
Originally published on X on 3 October 2023. A vršek is the upper part of something, or a small hill. And if you want to know you Jan was, take a quick look at day 33: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/08/prague-1-day-33-janska/. So this thread isn’t *too* brief, here’s one of the rare old-school German-language street signs you find round Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 33: Jánská
Originally published on X on 1 October 2023. This part of Malá Strana used to be a separate settlement called Obora (meaning ‘enclosure’ or ‘forest’). It was first mentioned in 1278, but a sanctuary had already been founded here the century before that. That first mention in 1278 occurred because, at the time, Bohemia was Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 32: Šporkova
Originally published on X on 30 September 2023. Once upon a time, there was a Renaissance house in this street, owned by, amongst others, the House of Martinice, a noble family who claimed to have originated from the ancient Vršovci clan. A descendant of that family, Heinrich Clam-Martinic, would end up being one of the 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
What's in a Prague street name 