Golden Lane
.jpg)
The Golden Lane ( Zlatá ulička in Czech ), also called Alchemist Lane or Goldmacher Lane, is a lane on the inner wall of Prague Castle and a tourist magnet of Prague . It achieved fame above all because alchemists are said to have worked here under the supervision of Emperor Rudolf II in order to produce artificial gold and the philosopher's stone for him .
The Golden Lane is located between the northern castle wall and the Burgrave's Palace and is bordered by two towers, the White Tower in the west and the Daliborka in the east. The battlements are located behind the eleven small houses in the alley . The houses date from the 16th century and were built as accommodation for the castle guards of Emperor Rudolf II , the so-called red riflemen. Later, goldsmiths in particular moved into the huts, from which the alley probably got its name. In the 19th century the Golden Lane was very shabby; it was mainly poorer people who settled there. The writer Franz Kafka lived here between 1916 and 1917 and worked on his works in house number 22 (he wrote some of the short stories here that were published in the Ein Landarzt collection in 1920 ).
After the Second World War, the presidential office bought the houses and had them renovated by the architect Pavel Janák . The famous puppet film director, illustrator and painter Jiří Trnka also took part in the work and proposed the colorful facades that are known today. The alley has been uninhabited since then. The houses are home to a permanent exhibition, souvenir shops and cafes. Medieval armor is exhibited on the upper floor. Entry to the alley is required until 4:00 p.m. (November – March) or 5:00 p.m. (April – October).
literature
- Jana Švábová: Golden Lane and the Alchemists in Rudolfine Prague. ATP, Jihlava 2000, ISBN 80-86374-10-6 .
- Harald Salfellner: Das Goldene Gäßchen , Vitalis, Praha 2019, ISBN 978-3-89919-680-1 .
Web links
Coordinates: 50 ° 5 ′ 32 ″ N , 14 ° 24 ′ 14 ″ E