Podskalí

A walk along the right bank of the Vltava River through the distinctive Prague neighbourhood of Podskalí and the historic settlement of Zderaz.

Podskalí was a settlement older than New Town, founded by Charles IV. It retained its distinctive character - two long streets running parallel to the river with short perpendicular lanes - until the regulation of the Vltava banks. With that came the disappearance of Cat Lane and Dog Lane, the royal salt house, the Podol town hall, and other places once familiar to Prague residents.

The livelihood of Podskalí residents was traditionally tied to work on the Vltava: they were masters of timber floating, ice harvesting, sand mining, and fishing. This hard craft and a mix of languages and dialects gave rise to a unique raftsmen's slang. Some expressions are now incomprehensible - for example, "abrkšvint" (a Podskalí nickname for timber floaters, from the German "ale rychle") or "táhnout lantem" (walking home after work). Others have become common: the counting "raz dva" or the word for a river lock "šlajsna".

The settlement of Zderaz spread around Břežská Rock, a cliff that no longer exists between Charles Square and Jiráskův Embankment. The place has a somewhat mysterious atmosphere today - there is no rock or castle, and the settlement is recalled only by the street name "Na Zderaze". Yet traces of the original settlement can still be found here.

Practical information:
- Meeting point: in front of the customs house on Výtoň
- Guide: Miroslav Křižan
- Duration: approximately 2 hours
- End: at St. Wenceslas Church