Small, Curious, Lennon… No, you are not reading an article about Yoko Ono. These are translations of street names you should not miss when travelling across Czechia. But we have many more tips for you! We will reveal where to find the narrowest alley in Czechia, where to go for the most picturesque ones, which street is haunted, and we will also take you to the houses where the writer Franz Kafka and Tycho Brahe once lived.
The Narrowest Alley in Czechia
If you suffer from claustrophobia, the Gothic Executioner’s Alley (Katova) in the town of Kadaň, connecting the square with the town walls and the executioner’s house, could be quite an adrenaline experience for you. It is in fact the narrowest in Czechia – at its thinnest point it measures only 61.1 centimetres! The name of the street dates back to the Middle Ages when it was used by the town executioner. He would pass through it to the town hall for those condemned to death, whom he then led directly to the place of execution.
The Narrowest Alley in Prague
An even slimmer “skinny one” can be found in Prague on Kampa, near U Lužického semináře Street. The passage between the houses, which leads to the Čertovka restaurant, is so narrow that traffic there has to be controlled by traffic lights! At its narrowest point, the alley measures only half a metre. You may wonder why we mentioned Executioner’s Alley as the narrowest street in Czechia. The fact is that this curiosity in Prague is not an actual street. It is a fire passage, which in the Middle Ages served as an access corridor to the River Vltava.
The Narrowest Alley in Plzeň
And here is another narrow alley, this time in Plzeň, the city of beer. The alley, aptly named Malá (Small), was chosen for its special atmosphere. Locals consider this link between the Dominican Monastery and the former city gate to be a hidden gem of the historic centre. Townspeople with the right to brew beer also lived in this street, as evidenced by the prominent Gothic portal.
Lost Lennon in Kroměříž
For the next two tips, head to the charming town of Kroměříž. The first one is Ztracená (Lost) Street, whose picturesque charm is crowned by the view of the UNESCO-listed Archbishop’s Palace standing at its end.The second tip is Lennon’s Alley, which connects Ztracená Street with the Great Square. During the former political regime, when most Western culture was suppressed in what was then Czechoslovakia, someone painted a portrait of John Lennon on the wall there. The painting became a memorial site where people secretly lit candles. The portrait was regularly removed by the communist authorities, but there was always someone who traced the drawing again. Today you can view a reproduction of the original painting under the arcade.
“Curious” Folk Architecture of the Highest Czech Mountains
Like in a fairy tale you will feel in Zvědavá (Curious) Alley in Jilemnice – a town known as the gateway to the Krkonoše Mountains, the highest mountain range in Czechia. Why is it called Curious? Because the timbered cottages on one side of the alley are built so that each next one is shifted by one window axis closer into the street. The alley narrows further along, and the cottages thus look as if their inhabitants were peeking out to make sure they did not miss anything happening on the main street.
A Bethlehem With Ears
A similar character can be found in Jaroňkova Street in Štramberk. Thanks to its charm, this foothill town in the east of Czechia is nicknamed the Moravian Bethlehem, and it hides several picturesque alleys. Yet Jaroňkova is the most beautiful, and locals call it nothing else but the Golden Alley. It winds its way between historic timbered cottages and stone houses, like something out of a fairy tale, all the way up to the castle dominated by the Trúba tower.
OUR TIP: Before you set off for your walk, buy some Štramberk ears – the journey will be even more delightful. This gingerbread pastry is baked in the town to commemorate the victory over the Mongols, who were said to cut off the ears of Christians and send them to their khan as proof of how many they had slain.
To Franz Kafka in the Golden Alley in Prague
You can, of course, stroll through a Golden Alley in Prague as well. You will find it right at the castle, and you will recognise it easily: it is a row of small colourful houses forming one of the most picturesque spots in the Czech capital. The quaint setting even captivated the writer Franz Kafka, who lived in house number 22. And how did the alley get its name? A romantic legend links it to alchemists trying to produce gold. The reality, however, is not romantic at all. Alchemists never lived in the Golden Alley; the name is said to come from the colour of urine with which it was constantly soiled. And no wonder – sixteen houses had to share only two toilets!
New World, or Welcome to Prague’s Montmartre
Once you find yourself in Nový Svět (New World), you will hardly believe you are still in Prague. And what is more, so close to Prague Castle! No crowds of tourists, only romantic little houses all around, and at the end of the street – which gave its name to this historic forecourt – you will even find a timbered cottage, the only one in the Czech capital. Nový Svět is said to be the “most golden” place in Prague. Its poor inhabitants tried to make up for their poverty with golden house names. So, you will come across the House at the Golden Lamb, Stork, Grape, Sun… or the Golden Leg, where in 1600 the famous astronomer and mathematician Tycho Brahe lived! In the second half of the 20th century, Nový Svět became beloved by artists and bohemians. For instance, the renowned filmmaker and artist, the last great European surrealist Jan Švankmajer, has a house there.
A Luxury Piece of Paris in Prague
In contrast to the modest dwellings of the Golden Alley and Nový Svět is Pařížská Street. The famous link between the Old Town Square and the River Vltava was built at the turn of the 20th century in the style of Parisian boulevards, and when walking there you truly feel the atmosphere of the French capital. The street is lined with grand houses boasting magnificent fades, which host the most expensive fashion and jewellery shops. Hermés, Dior, Tiffany… The boulevard is simply the Mecca of luxury shopping in Prague.
Český Krumlov: A UNESCO Fairy Tale in South Bohemia
We cannot possibly leave Český Krumlov, one of the most beautiful towns in Czechia, out of our selection. Thanks to its uniquely preserved historic buildings, the town centre in South Bohemia has been included in the UNESCO list. If we were to recommend just one street there, it would be Latrán. As you walk along the “main Krumlov street”, take a good look at the historic houses around you: here Gothic, there Renaissance, elsewhere Baroque… You may even be surprised to find a functionalist building. The street will lead you to the first courtyard of the UNESCO-listed Český Krumlov Castle, to the town gate and to the River Vltava.
A Gingerbread Walk in Pardubice
If the architectural diversity of Krumlov has appealed to you, then you will also like Pernštýnská Street in Pardubice, the city of delicious gingerbread. The romantic route between Pernštýnské Square and the castle is lined with houses from the Gothic and Renaissance periods, but you will also find elements of Baroque and Classicism. Along the way you can admire historic symbols, coats of arms or sgraffiti… And at the end of the street you will discover Přihrádek, a small historic triangular square with a fountain.
