These little houses look like something out of a fairy tale, but their origin was very practical. In 1597 the castle guards asked Emperor Rudolf II for permission to wall up the arches of the newly repaired fortification and build small dwellings in them. The emperor approved it by decree on 16 September that year.
1Gold or alchemy?
The name has fired imaginations. It is said that Rudolf II's alchemists worked here, an emperor fascinated by the occult sciences, hunting for the philosopher's stone. It is an appealing idea, but the sources do not confirm it. Nor is it certain that goldsmiths lived here: this was one of the poorest corners of Hradčany. The name may simply have been ironic.
2A writer and a seer
Between November 1916 and March 1917, Franz Kafka wrote in the evenings at house number 22, which his sister Ottla had rented. There he composed many of the stories in «A Country Doctor». A few doors along lived Matylda Průšová, a famous card reader known as Madame de Thèbes; she died after being interrogated by the Gestapo.
The lane was thoroughly restored in 2010–2011, and today several houses show what they looked like inside in different periods.
3What to look for
- House 22, the blue one, with a plaque recalling Kafka.
- House 13, the only one that does not jut into the lane, keeping its original size.
- Daliborka Tower at the end, a former prison from 1496.
Documented
The houses were built from 1597 with Rudolf II's permission, and Franz Kafka worked at number 22 in 1916–1917.
Oral tradition
The idea that Rudolf II's alchemists worked in the lane is a popular tradition without confirmation.
Sources and credits
Prague Castle official website (hrad.cz), Golden Lane; Reiner Stach, «Kafka: The Years of Insight»; Czech Wikipedia, «Zlatá ulička».
Photos:
- Colourful little houses of Golden Lane, with the blue house number 22: Yair Haklai, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Old photograph of Golden Lane around 1900, with children in the street: Peter Elfelt, CC BY 4.0.
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