Do you want to see a street where houses are so small, that they more fit dwarfs, rather than people? Then do not miss Golden Lane in Prague Castle, a huge medieval castle located on the left shore of the Vltava.
Golden Lane appeared at the end of the 15th century after the construction of a new northern fortress. In 1597, Emperor Rudolf II decided to gave this place to shooters, so that they could better protect the territory. However, there were too many shooters: they had to build small houses for themselves and their families. They used dirt, stones, and wood as building materials. Apart from it, the emperor prohibited making windows in the direction to the Deer Moat. He also prohibited selling or renting houses to someone else. However, time passed by. Within several tens of years, a part of the houses was destroyed. In the middle of the 17th century, there were no more than 15 of them. The castle did not need shooters at that time, so they abandoned that place. Their small residences were shortly inhabited by people of other professions. The street got its name in honor of jewelers: many of them lived and worked there. To see what their workshops looked like at that time, visit House No. 15.
Today, Golden Lane is one of the main tourist attractions of Prague. After its houses were painted with bright colors, even those who have never been there easily recognize the images of this place. Nowadays, the small residences house souvenir shops and expositions which demonstrate the everyday life of locals. Previously, a healer lived in House No. 27, a tailor – in House No. 26, a tavern and a pub occupied House No. 16, and a famous (at her time) fortune-teller, Matilda Prushova, lived in House No. 14. She predicted the fall of the Third Reich and died because of it in the Gestapo. Those who are fond of literature will be glad to visit House No. 22, where Franz Kafka lived and created his works. Cinema lovers will enjoy visiting House No. 12 where a collector of Czech and American films, Josef Kazda, lived.