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House signs and their mysterious stories
Thanks to modern technology, it’s easy to get where you need to go by entering the exact address into a navigation system. But how did people navigate before, especially in the days when houses weren’t numbered? The answer to this question can be found in house signs, of which there are many in the historical center of Prague. There are incredibly entertaining stories and myths associated with them. During our guided tours, our guides will reveal things you never knew about Prague’s house signs.
Published on October 19, 2021
Old Town or Lesser Town?
Are you intrigued by the name of the House at the Three Wild Men (U Tří divých mužů) and want to learn more about its origin? We’ll only hint that the story concerns three ogres. But if you want to hear the full history of its name, you'll have to go on a tour with one of our guides. They’ll be happy to share all the sordid details with you.
Since there are so many interesting house signs in Prague, we decided to split the walk into two parts. On a walk through the Old Town, you can enjoy, among other things, a talk about the House At the Black Sun (U Černého slunce), which went black during the reign of Emperor Rudolf II. A walk through the Lesser Town will reveal several stories involving the writer Jan Neruda and his birth house At the Two Suns (U Dvou slunců). You’ll also learn that there are lots of ghost stories linked with the streets of the Lesser Town. For example, there's a house where it's said a skeleton appears every Friday night.
On the trail of house signs using navigation
It wasn’t until the reign of Maria Theresa that systematic numbering of houses took place, and house signs gradually lost their main function and became a mere decorative element on building facades. Of course, we're glad that nowadays we can find our way around the city thanks to street names and proper house numbers, but we could hardly imagine Prague without its house signs. They add a unique charm to the local streets and tell stories about the city and its history.
The Peacock Hotel (Hotel Páv) is aware of this and has combined modern technology with the history of house signs in a fun way. On photographs depicting individual Prague signs, there are QR codes that will tell you their history and recommend a walk through Prague.
A walk through Prague looking for house signs is a guaranteed way to entertain the whole family. Along the route, children will search for individual signs together with the guide and then learn their stories. Adults will also enjoy the history of such houses as The Golden Tiger (U Zlatého tygra), where the writer Bohumil Hrabal used to go for excellent draft beer.
Prague City Tourism
Prague City Tourism (PCT) is a joint stock company 100% owned by the Capital City of Prague and is the certified official organization for Prague City Hall destination management. Its main mission is to promote sustainable domestic and inbound international tourism in the capital.