Hradčany also has places which tourists do not go very much

You will find this near the president’s villa on the hillside above Upper Deer’s Dike _{(Horní Jelení příkop)}. It was built in 1922-4 according to a design by the architect Josip Plečnik. There is a surprise view from here of St. Vitus Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace and other monuments in Prague Castle. Because the previous regime was not in any way inclined towards anything which even slightly commemorated out first president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, this lookout point was forgotten for a long time. This is why it had to be completely restored in the 1990s.

 

This is a natural gorge in Prague Castle complex. It has an area of eight hectares and the Brusnice Stream runs through it. The dike is currently divided into two parts – upper and lower. The gorge was originally used only as a protective barrier, but under the reign of Rudolf II, deer were introduced here. They were hunted for entertainment and also to provide meat for the castle kitchens. This is where the name “Deer’s Dike” _{“Jelení příkop”} comes from.

A riding school was built at the upper end of the gorge in the 17^th century. The Powder Bridge led here, linking the Royal Gardens with the other castle buildings. At the time of Maria Theresa, the bridge was replaced by an earthen barrier and the dike was thus divided into an upper and lower part. A tunnel was built into the barrier at the end of the last century, thus opening both parts of the dike to the public.

At the bottom of Upper Deer’s Dike _{(Horní Jelení příkop)} you will find an extensive meadow, artificial cave and the former house of the bear handler (T. G. Masaryk had a bear pit established here for the bears which he received as a gift from the Russian legionnaires). Lower Deer’s Dike _{(Dolní Jelení příkop)} is an extensive forest park, where you can go to escape the tourist bustle of Prague Castle.

 

This part of Hradčany is located near the former northwest ramparts and it is in fact a former suburb of Hradčany. This picturesque location with winding lanes and small houses was created in the middle of the 14^th century. The whole area is set away from the main artery of tourist routes and you will find tennis courts and a children’s playground here. Several personalities from Czech cultural life have also found a haven here. The eminent Czech painter Miloš Kurovský, who also established the so-called Gallery Behind the Window here, where he allowed passers-by to take a look at his artist’s workshop and to feast their eyes on his works, is one of them.  Otherwise, he was not allowed to exhibit his works in the Czech lands under communism. The director Karel Kachyňa lived in the former executioner’s residence here until his death.

Mr. and Mrs. Švankmajer, the eminent Czech surrealist artists, also owned a small house here. They created many animated films together, which are famous and highly praised in the Czech Republic and abroad. Only Jan Švankmajer lives here nowadays, and after the death of his wife, he established the surrealist Gambra Gallery in the ground floor of his house.

 

This street is one of the oldest and most interesting in Prague. It links Pohořelec and Nerudova. If you set out along this steep street, you will avoid the crowds of tourists and your reward for this will be a view over the extensive Strahov Gardens and Petřín. The other side is lined with remarkable historical houses. A great number of house emblems have also been preserved on the facades of these buildings. At the top end of Úvoz, you will find a building with a facade reminiscent of a church, which has been converted into a hotel. But churchgoers can breathe a sigh of relief as this building was never a church. It is the former hospital of St. Elisabeth and St. Norbert.

The street did not gain the name Úvoz until 1870. It was first called the Strahov Way _{(Strahovská cesta)} and later the Deep Way _{(Hluboká cesta)} – this name probably comes closest to describing the situation of the terrain at that time. A really deep ravine (“úvoz” in Czech) cut into the hillside and when there was heavy rain, sewage and faeces poured down the street, which markedly soured the life of the people who lived there. It was not until the 17^th century when the street was raised and sewers were built under it.

This street with a mysterious atmosphere can take pride in having been home to several eminent personalities of Czech culture. Probably the most interesting house on Úvoz is the House at the Stone Pillar _{(dům U Kamenného sloupu)} or also House at the Sun and the Moon _{(dům U Slunce a Měsíce)} – take your pick. Two allegorical busts of the Sun and the Moon are located above the porch to the house and a “stone” pillar rises up on the level of the second floor (in reality this is merely a plaster pillar, reinforced with a wooden beam, but who cares …), topped with a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary.

The sisters Marie and Zdeňka Kalašová gained ownership of the house at the start of the 20^th century. Two educated and art-loving ladies who played host here to eminent literary personalities of that time such as Vrchlický or Zeyer. Although living in a historical house like this was romantic, it did have its drawbacks. The quarters were damp, dark and could not be heated properly. The last famous tenant, the Czech photographer Josef Sudek knew all about this. There is now a gallery on the ground floor of the house devoted to him.

 

Jánský vršek links Vlašská and Nerudova and is about 150 metres long. Nowadays it is merely a link between several streets in Hradčany and the Lesser Quarter. In times gone by however, it was an enclave in its own right. Jánský vršek got its name from the Church of St. John the Baptist, which already stood in the small village of Obora in 1141. This village later spread out on this spot. The narrow lane that is Jánský vršek starts just under Nerudova with a breakneck set of steps and leads into Vlašská. You will find the Museum of Alchemy in the “House at the Donkey” _{(“dům U Osla”)}, which is devoted to Master Kelly, the most renowned alchemist at the time of Emperor Rudolf II. Kelly allegedly really lived in the tower of the “House at the Donkey” _{(“dům U Osla”)}.

In the place where Jánský vršek leads into Vlašská, on the opposite side stands a beautiful house built in the classicist style, which its creators managed to incorporate into the historical architecture here in a truly unforced and tasteful manner. In this house, you will for a change find the KGB Museum and directly next to it a small shop selling magical items. Other than that, almost the whole street is built in a baroque style. It gained its name in the 17^th century thanks to the Wallachian and Italian bricklayers and foremen who settled here in abundance. Most of the palaces and houses at the castle are their work. You will also find the Lobkovic Palace and the Wallachian Hospital with the Chapel of the Virgin Mary. And purely as a matter of interest, this street is home to the registered offices of the greatest number of companies in the country. This path also lies away from the main tourist artery.