Prague Unknown will take you to Prague, Italy, Paris or England. Or to Jánský vršek
Petr Ryska, the guide and founder of the Prague Unknown project, will first head down Úvoz Street to the House at Bílá Koula. “Normally you would miss the house, because even though it is modern, it fits quite well into the surrounding buildings. It recalls the monumental situation from the First Republic. At that time, the state regulatory commission required matter so that the houses fit into the context, they had the same roof, and the height of the house did not protrude. In addition, this house is designed by architect Rudolf Stockar. Zita Kabátová was born and lived here practically her whole life, which is why she has always been a proud inhabitant of Malá Strana, ”says Petr Ryska, and together we are slowly moving all the way to Neruda Street.
“Since 1895, the street has been called Nerudova after the writer who lived here, but until then it was called Ostruhová, which is wrong. It was supposed to be called Rafters, because rafters were laid in the pavement so that the horses could lean on them. Rafter Street is called Sparrgasse in German, from which Spornergasse was born, and from that Czech spur, “guide name history of the name of Neruda Street. We stay with Czech and Petr Ryska tells why the famous house where Jan Neruda’s father had a tobacco shop is not called U Dvou sluncí, but u Dvou slunců. In the 19th century, there was a Lesser Town dialect, the so-called Lesser Town, which differed considerably from Czech. The inhabitants of Malá Strana formed a closed community, they spent most of their time in their place of residence and spoke to each other only in a small party.
But now we are descending the stairs from Nerudova street to Jánský vršek. “Jánský vršek has preserved all the characteristics of Malá Strana. The burgher houses with palaces and gardens alternate here, we will see picturesque nooks and refined vistas. The predecessor of Jánský vršek was the settlement of Obora, which was already here in the 12th century. There were two churches and a cemetery between them. It was a very important cemetery, and therefore various personalities were buried here, such as Anselmo Lurago or Jan Blažej Santini, “says Petr Ryska, a guide to Jánský vršek. Then we wander the other narrow streets in the area until we come to a distinctive building, which is now the Italian Cultural Institute. We go back to the past, this time to the 16th century, and remember the time when a large number of Italians flocked to the then Habsburg capital.
However, the Prague Unknown project is often published outside the streets in the heart of Prague, no neighborhood is about anything, you can explore Divoká Šárka, Karlín, Žižkov or the First Republic emergency colonies Na Slatinách. During the engaging story, one loses track of time and discovers that even as a native of Prague, he hardly knows Prague.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Program of events: Every week there are several walks in Prague, they usually last from 90 minutes to three hours, you can also take part in a thematic First Republic evening or a trip to Brno. You can find the most up-to-date information on walks on the website www.prahaneznama.cz.
Admission: Full 180-220 CZK depending on the length of the walk, with a pre-purchased ticket (+ 100 CZK on the spot), Reduced 140-220 CZK (+ 100 CZK), children under 12 free