Vltava
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Prague 4, day 246: U ledáren
U ledáren was built in 1981. Quick one today, as we’re talking about the same ledárny – icehouses – as we were yesterday (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/11/30/prague-4-day-245-ledarska/). Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 245: Ledařská
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 Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 238: Za mlýnem
Za mlýnem was named in 1938. ‘Za mlýnem’ translates as ‘Behind the mill’, and so we need to talk about Kunratický potok. In Praha-Kunratice (south-east of here, and a separate urban district from the Prague 4 urban district, but part of the Prague 4 municipal district – it’s complicated), a stream (potok) originates. Eleven kilometres Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 235: Pobřežní cesta
Pobřežní cesta was named in 1938. I couldn’t find a street sign, so here’s the nearby tram stop instead. ‘Pobřežní cesta’ translates as ‘coastal road’ if you’re by the sea. We’re not. So I guess we can make do with ‘river bank road’. And this street – more of a path – does exactly what it Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 210: Nad přívozem
Nad přívozem was built in 1926. A ‘přívoz’ is a ferry. Czech Wikipedia lists 17 current ferry routes across the Vltava – and 85 which are no more. Of the 17 remaining ones, only six are in Prague, and one is just for tourists. Two ferries used to cross the Vltava to/from Braník: one, sailing Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 139: Rybářská
Rybářská was built in 1930. Recent posts such as https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/07/05/prague-4-day-137-podolske-nabrezi/ and https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/07/06/prague-4-day-138-podolsky-pristav/ remind us that we are by the Vltava. Also historically spending a lot of time by the river? Fishermen, or, in Czech, rybáři. If you’re into a bit of fishing/angling (rybářství) yourself, you will need a rybářský prut (a fishing rod), a fishing Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 138: Podolský přístav
Podolský přístav was built between 1867 and 1872. A ‘přístav’ is a port. This one was originally built for rafts; around 1890, it gained a protective dam, and started to be used for sports vessels. In 1894, the Czech Yacht Club set up a floating shipyard at the port. A German rowing club, Regatta, then Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 30: Svatoslavova
I can’t say with certainty when Svatoslavova was built, but it’s had its name since 1900. There are Svatoslavs that the street could be named after. I’ll get the more Czech – but less interesting – one out of the way, and then I’ll move on to option two. Option 1 Svatoslav was an alleged Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 279: Holbova
Originally published on X on 7 July 2024. This is the closest you’re getting, and if you were there, you’d understand. Back in the 15th century, there was a royal spa here. It was owned by a Jakub Holba, who I can’t find any more information about. Between then and its current status as what Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 264: Petrské náměstí
Originally published on X on 22 June 2024. In the early Middle Ages, this area was a settlement called Poříčí (which means ‘riverside’). I’ll try not to give too much commentary on that today, as I’m saving it for a future thread. It was mainly inhabited by German merchants, who, around 1150, had a church Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 263: Lodecká
Originally published on X on 21 June 2024. We’ve spoken about how this was once an area of mills: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/10/prague-1-day-258-nove-mlyny/. Specifically, ship mills, also known as ‘škrtnice’ (cutters) in Czech, existed on the Vltava as far back as the 1300s, and survived until 1818. A ‘ship’ in Czech is a ‘loď’, and, while ‘lodní’ is Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 258: Nové mlýny
Originally published on X on 16 June 2024. Before the New Town was founded in 1348, Prague got its water from public and private wells (there were aqueducts too, but these were only used for royal buildings and churches). Later, four waterworks were set up; the ones serving this part of the New Town were Continue reading
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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 Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 256: Lannova
Originally published on X on 14 June 2024. Vojtěch Lanna was born in Čtyři Dvory, now part of České Budějovice, in 1805. He was the son of a shipmaster. When he was sixteen, he moved to Prague to study mechanical engineering at what is now ČVUT (the Czech Technical University). However, he was expelled for Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 255: Revoluční
Originally published on X on 13 June 2024. The street is located where the easternmost part of the Old Town walls once stood (see https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/09/prague-1-day-251-hradebni/). In the 1700s, the part nearer the river was called Náplavní or Náplavka, both referring to the riverbank. The southern part was called Trubní or Rourová – ‘trubka’ and ‘roura’ Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 220: Břehová
Originally published on X on 6 May 2024. A ‘břeh’ is a coast or shore (if you’re dealing with the sea), or a bank (if you’re dealing with a river, which we clearly are here). And the street is so called because it leads from the right bank of the Vltava to the Old New Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 95: Slovanský ostrov (Slavonic Island)
Originally published on X on 24 December 2023. The island was gradually formed by deposits of sand during the 16th century. It was initially settled by dyers, and therefore got the name of ‘Barvířský’ (a ‘dyer’ being a barvíř, derived from barva, which means colour). After flooding in 1784, walls were added to the island, Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 94: Na Struze
Originally published on X on 23 December 2023. A strouha is a gutter or a drain – and, in the 14th century, the term was also attributed to the bay of the Vltava located here. It was also in the 14th century that we have the first written mention of a church here – St Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 93: Šítkova
Originally published on X on 22 December 2023. Mills operating here by the Vltava got their name from a former owner, Jan Šítka, who died in 1451. In 1495, a wooden water tower was built, but would be destroyed by a fire six years later. A replacement would also be burned down in 1588, after Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 