In the house U Zlatého prstenu in the center of Prague you will look back to the time of Charles IV. and you will know life in the Middle Ages
Not far from the Old Town Square in Prague, behind the Týn Cathedral stands a house with a narrow facade. He was given the name U Zlatého prstenu. According to legend, the ring was dropped by the old town ghost, the owner of the house found it and hung it over the entrance. You can still discover the relief of the ring above the entrance to the Gothic-Renaissance building today.
In the places where the house stands today, there was originally a defensive moat. In the 13th century, it was buried and a fence wall was built in its place. Its remains with preserved loopholes in the interior of the house have remained to this day. The house acquired its current layout in the second half of the 15th century, when two older buildings were joined. Their oldest construction phase is evidenced by a preserved pair of early Gothic cellars, dating to the second third of the 13th century.
The first written mention of the house dates from 1402, in 1429 it is first mentioned as the house U Zlatého prstenu. Fragments of late Gothic murals on the first floor or a Renaissance painted ceiling from the early 16th century have been preserved in the interior from an earlier period.
In the house U Zlatého prstenu there is a permanent exhibition called Prague of Charles IV. – a medieval city, which represents the metropolis and its transformation during the reign of Charles IV. and other Luxembourgs. Another exhibition in Prague 1606 presents life in Rudolfinum Prague in a unique way through the moving Sadeler’s prospectus. At the same time, the house hosts short-term exhibitions and various cultural events for the public.
The house, although historic, is wheelchair accessible. The exhibition in the U Zlatého prstenu house is open daily except Mondays from 9 am to 6 pm. In addition, children will be thrilled by the playroom, where they can penetrate into various areas of life in Karlovy Vary Prague.