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One of the oldest streets in Prague, Celetna Lane, connects the Old Town Square with the Republic
Square. It is lined with picturesque houses, adorned with house symbols. These coloured symbols of
various objects and animals were used as an address in the middle ages. Most of the houses were
originally Romanesque or Gothic, but they were rebuilt in Baroque or Classicist style later. Several
houses are connected with life of renowned author Franz Kafka. You will find numerous shops, cafés
and restaurants in this lively pedestrian lane nowadays.
Celetna Lane was a part of an old trading way to Prague in the past. It is called “Celetna” after the
buns and rolls (“calty”), that used to be baked in the street in the 13 th century.
The Pachta Palace (No.36) in the Celetna Lane used to be a mint in the middle ages. It was a seat of
the Military Commandant headquarters in Prague since 1784. It finally became a court building in
1849. Young lawyer Franz Kafka used to work there.
House At the Golden Angel (No.29) used to be a coaching-inn with famous guests such as W. A.
Mozart, and a luxury hotel later. Several kings stayed in the hotel in the 19 th century.
The house At the Red Eagle (No.21) is embellished with a beautiful house symbol. There used to be
a café in the 19 th century, where Czech patriots, such as Romanticist poet K. H. Macha, used to
meet.
The Menhart House (No.17), is a former Piarist College. There is a restaurant U pavouka (“At the
Spider”) and also the theater Divadlo v Celetne (“Celetna Theater”).
The Hrzan of Harasov Palace (No.12) is one of the most beautiful buildings in the Celetna Lane, built
in Baroque manner by G. B. Alliprandi.
The house At the White Peacock (No.10) has a Rococo facade and a beautiful house symbol.
You can see the Sixt House (No.2) near the Old Town Square, at the beginning of the Celetna Lane.
It has Romanesque corridors and vaults in the basements. There is a wine room nowadays, and a
café in the ground floor. The house is decorated with sculptures of Habsburg rulers at the gable.
Franz Kafka lived in this house with his parents between 1888 and 1889.