Celetna Street, Prague

Exploring Prague would be incomplete without strolling along the lively pedestrian lane of Celetná. This ancient lane, once a vital part of the medieval Royal Road used for coronation processions from the Old Town to Prague Castle, was actually named after the braided bread rolls once sold here to spectators awaiting the passage of nobles. Today it teems with souvenir shops, cafés, and restaurants, interspersed with stunning murals, ornate facades, and notable architectural landmarks, including the striking Black Madonna House. House signs along this street are a photographer's delight, with each bearing its own unique story and history.

Many of the buildings retain their original Gothic or Romanesque vaulted cellars, with notable exceptions such as "at the Black Madonna", Prague's first Cubist building. Other notable landmarks include Manhart Palace (or "at the Goats"), home to the Theatre Institute and the Theatre in Celetná, and "at the Three Kings" (#3), renowned for its excellent café and wine tasting room, once briefly inhabited by Kafka himself. Meanwhile, "at the Golden Deer" was once a "rattle" post office, where postmen signaled the delivery of mail with rattling chains.

As dusk falls, Celetná transforms into a most enchanting thoroughfare, radiating romance under the soft glow of streetlights.

Tip:
Don't forget to cast your gaze upwards to appreciate the baroque detailing adorning the buildings above street-level storefronts.