Josefov

In the 19th century, Josefov was the most crowded and the creakiest place in Prague. It was totally different to the other parts of Prague. The lanes in Josefov were so narrow that one can hardly ever imagine it is possible. You could scarcely squeeze through; there really was luck of space, even for a single person. Now imagine what a hard job it would be to get out of a wain’s way! Fortunately, this is all gone. The antiquity and originality of the bizarre mixture of buildings made from wood or stone, or romantic corners where pairs of lovers met (Josefov was also an ideal place for beautiful walks) faded away at the beginning of the 20th century.

Similar to the things being changed by the pressure of modernization, this quarter also changed its structure and appearance. The way Josefov looked a hundred years ago can be find out only from historical photographs or from memoirs of very old people who remember it from the times they were very small children - at the times when everything on the world was so different. Those people could tell you that. Some chroniclers and writers dreamily remember on how it was to walk through the narrow lanes of Josefov; they think of all those tiny antique shops, bookshops, or shops where you could buy some artistic things, second-hand shops, where you could cheaply get, except a few very special things, almost everything you wanted.

Four hundred years have this part lived its own life. It was very special life – unique and weird a little bit. However, it exactly corresponded with local conditions. Josefov lay curled as a giant snake in the centre of Prague; one had to be cautious, not only because of the serpentine and narrow lanes. If you would like to find this place, you should start the search at today’s Široká and Pařížská Street and continue in the direction to the Vltava River. Between those places there was and still is this noteworthy quarter containing many miscellaneous treasures.