Řetězová Street (Chain Street) is the essence of old Prague. Its romance, nostalgia, and centuries and centuries of history, which are inscribed in Prague’s paving, sidewalks, and walls. Whether it’s a warm summer evening, an Indian summer with the damp coming from the nearby Vltava, or the street is covered with a snow blanket, it must always enthrall you.
Towards Liliová Street, the street is very narrow, because the House of the Lords of Kunštát extends into it. It is interesting in that George of Kunštát and Poděbrady lived in this house until his election as King of Bohemia in 1458.
Until the 17th century, the street was called Kožešnická, because a lot of furriers (kožešník) lived and worked here. Furrier Václav Hofleich owned a house here, which was called U tří zlatých řetězů (At Three Gold Chains) at the beginning of the 15th century, and the street got its name after it.
Another legend says that a chain led through the street, which was stretched across the entire river to the opposite bank to hold boats and rafts until their owners paid the city a fee. Maybe it’s the more romantic version…
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