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Prague 4, day 290: V Náklích
V Náklích was built in 1927. Until 1947, the street was called U kapličky (By the chapel), after the Chapel of St. Bartholomew on Modřanská (note to self to take a photo when I’m next there). ‘Náklí’ is young willow growth by a river, cut down annually so that it can be used to weave… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 289: Šífařská
Šífařská was built in 1998. In Czech, a ‘ship’ is a ‘loď’. For those wondering, yes, ‘łódź’ is also Polish for ‘ship’, but there’s no consensus that that’s the reason why Łódź has its name. But it gives me a nice excuse to share some pictures of my 2013 trip to Łódź all the same.… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 288: Branický most
Branický most was named in 1969. In 1920, the Prague Railway Commission received a proposal for a railway bridge for freight transport. Construction began, somewhat abruptly, in 1949, before the design of the bridge had even been agreed on (this doesn’t sound like a great idea). It’s thought that part of the reason for the… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 287: Barrandovský most
Barrandovský most (Barrandov Bridge) was built between 1978 and 1988. In the 1700s already, there was a pontoon bridge here – a pontoon bridge being a bridge that uses floats, or shallow draft-boats to continuously support traffic. For those of you wanting to see an example and also dream of warmer weather, here’s a picture… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 286: Vltavanů
Vltavanů was named in 1998. In 1871, an association was formed in Podskalí (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/26/prague-2-day-122-podskalska/). Its full name was ‘Vzájemně se podporující spolek plavců, rybářů a pobřežných Vltavan’, translating loosely as ‘The Mutually Supportive Association of Swimmers, Fishermen and Coastal Guards: Vltavan’. One of the founding members was František Dittrich, a Podskalí native who had once… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 285: Na dlouhé mezi
Na dlouhé mezi was built in 1900 and, despite the pic, is partially in Braník. Until 1941, the street was called V Zátiší, which we’ll discuss in a few days. A ‘mez’ is a ‘limit’ or a ‘boundary’; it can also be translated as ‘balk’ or ‘baulk’ (a ‘narrow strip of uncultivated land between cultivated fields’).… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 284: Klánova
Klánova was built in 1925. Václav Klán was born in Černošice (nowadays in Prague-West) in 1839. He was working as a clerk in Zbraslav when an aunt left him some rocky land in Radotín (nowadays in Prague 16). He later sold this to a mining company (Radotín is famed for its limestone), making a nice… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 283: Dobrušská
Dobrušská was named in 1947. The earliest mention we have of Dobruška, a town in the Hradec Králové Region, is from 1320, when it was an important part of the trade route to Kłodzko (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/01/29/prague-2-day-23-kladska/). In the mid-1800s, Dobruška was an important regional centre of the Czech National Revival, mainly because it had been the… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 282: U nás
U nás was built in 1935. U nás is a novel by Alois Jirásek, discussed on both https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2026/01/10/prague-4-day-275-ludvikova/ and https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2026/01/12/prague-4-day-277-havlovickeho/. ‘U nás’ is a simple phrase that can be translated in multiple ways in English, because we don’t have an equivalent of ‘u’ / ‘chez’ / ‘bei’ / ‘hos’, and so on. You could say… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 281: Filosofská
Filosofská was built in 1941. You know what philosophy is. You know what a philosopher is. But we’re not here because of Socrates, Plato, and whichever person on your feed has declared that he (it’s always a he) too is a philosopher and should therefore be listened to. We’re here because of Alois Jirásek, and… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 280: Korandova
Korandova was built in 1925. We don’t know when Václav Koranda was born, but we do know that, by 1414, he had founded a Hussite community in Plzeň, taking part in and often leading pilgrimages to the mountains. Leaving Plzeň in 1419, he joined Jan Žižka’s forces, and took part in the Battle of Sudoměř… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 279: Polední
Polední was built in 1925. ‘Polední’ is the adjective from ‘poledne’, midday or noon. You might be reading this on your ‘polední přestávka’ (lunch break). In Polish (but not in Czech), ‘południe’ means not only ‘noon’ but ‘south’ (and, yes, the word for ‘midnight’, ‘północ’ also means ‘north’). This is the first in a series of… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 278: Na výspě
Na výspě was built in 1930. No historical novels today: a ‘výspa’ is a promontory, outpost or headland, and the street is located on one. Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 277: Havlovického
Havlovického was built in 1935. Josef Regner was born in Havlovice, near Trutnov, in 1794, the son of a miller (his mill, Regnerův mlýn, is still standing) and fervent Czech patriot. He studied philosophy at Charles Ferdinand University in Prague, and then theology at the seminary in Hradec Králové. He first served as a priest in… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 276: Novodvorská
Novodvorská was created in 1935 through the merger of two streets: Hlavní (Main) and Vozová (which is related to ‘vůz’, meaning wagon). Once upon a time, there was a farmstead (in present-day Lhotka, also in Prague 4). Its name was Nový dvůr (New Court). It later became a monastery. After that, it served, at different… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 275: Ludvíkova
Ludvíkova was built in 1935. Josef Myslimír Ludvík was born in Dolany, near Náchod, in 1796. After studying theology at the seminary in Hradec Králové, he was ordained as a priest in 1819. A year later, he became chaplain of Náchod Castle, staying in that role until 1832. He devoted much of his time to… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 274: Vítovcova
Vítovcova was named in 1973. From 1927 to 1935, the street was called U rybníka, after a nearby and erstwhile pond. From 1935 to 1973, it was called V Hodkovičkách, which presumably caused confusion, as it’s not directly connected to the other street in the area called that. More on that name when we get… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 273: Vavřenova
Vavřenova was built in 1968. In 1878, Alois Jirásek (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/01/prague-2-day-154-jiraskovo-namesti/) published a novel called Filosofská historie (Philosophical History). It’s set in Litomyšl, where Jirásek was living and working as a teacher at the time, and a key theme is the use of Czech and German in everyday life. Tellingly, it is set in 1847 (the… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 272: Jílovská
Jílovská was built in 1947. The earliest mention we have of Jílová is from the 1200s, when it was a mining settlement (the writer wanted us to think the document was from 1045, but it turns out that it’s a forgery). In the 1320s, it was described as a ‘royal gold-mining town’; around 1350, Charles… Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 271: Němčická
Němčická was built at some point between 1973 and 1982 (warning: today’s post is going to remain about this vague). The street is likely to be named after a village called Němčice (whose name, in turn, I assume comes from the fact that its inhabitants were once predominantly German). Unfortunately, there are at least nine… Continue reading
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What's in a Prague street name 