Lesser Town
Mala Strana is the Lesser Town in Czech, meaning in English literally “Little Side”. This small area of Prague sits squeezed between the Vltava river and Prague Castle. It is more frequently referred to as “Lesser Town”, it was originally a popular name but now also the official name for the former Mensi mesto prazske (“The Lesser Town of Prague”), one of Prague’s historical and oldest boroughs.
The name comes from its position on the left (west) bank of the river Vltava, on the slopes just below the Prague Castle, in opposition to the larger towns of Prague on the right bank, to which it is conjoined by the Charles Bridge.
In the Middle Ages, it was a dominant centre of the ethnic German civilians of Prague. It also housed a large number of noble palaces while the right-bank towns were comparatively more bourgeois and more Bohemian Czech.
The famous Czech novelist Jan Neruda was born, lived in and wrote about Mala Strana; Nerudova street is named after him.
The Pet?ín lookout tower is located in Mala Strana.
The famous statue of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague is located in the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Mala Strana, Prague. The devotion and the church drawed millions of Roman Catholic faithful to Mala Strana throughout the years.
In 1989, the “Prague Embassy” of (then West) Germany, located in the Palais Lobkowicz, was the site of a drama involving thousands of East German refugees. Their cars were left behind in the quarter.
The pearl of Baroque Architecture
Without any exaggeration, Mala Strana deserves the title, “The Pearl of Baroque Architecture.” However, though baroque architecture dominates in Mala Strana, history of the district dates back far before the baroque era. Baroque architecture eventually dominated when the style became successfully implanted on Mala Strana after the district was devastated by fires in 1541. The architectural style took on very deep roots in Mala Strana during this period.
History
Very long before, Mala Strana was called Male Mesto Prazske (Lesser Town of Prague). Male Mesto Prazske appeared in 1257 as a result of joining a few settlements underneath the Prague Castle, in a whole administrative unity. It was done during the power of Premysl Otakar II. The newly founded town got the permission to be a royal town, and many more privileges. The residents were mostly German craftsmen, invited by the King. Even though the city was royal, the King did not master the city as a whole. By the middle of the century the city was renamed into Mala Strana.
- The market place, now known as Malostranske namesti, was a center of the town. Initially, this marketplace was divided on the upper and lower parts with a St Nicholas Church on border.
- As in entire Prague, the traces of Charles IV developments are seen in Mala Strana. The so-called Hunger Wall which is left till nowadays is one of them.
- In 1541 the finest Charles’ City was damaged by fires, and devastating wars. Mala Strana was mostly destroyed.
- The most extensive and unforgettable building of Baroque Era on Mala Strana, is an Albrecht von Wallenstein’s palace. He was a military general in-chief of Emperor Ferdinand II. Under his order 26 new houses and old gates were built on the freed place. The extensive palace complex with five courtyards and the garden, which is set as a French Park.
- The Churches are the most frequent and interesting developments on Mala Strana. The finest one and the most prominent in the St Nish Church. This is a masterpiece of Christoph Dientzenhofer and Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, father and son. The finest painting inside the church is an apotheosis of St. Nicholas, the defender of children, seamen, and wayfollowers. This painting is set in the dome of the church. It depicts an apotheos of Saint Trinity.
Prague City Street
This is one of the great pleasures in Prague, I can wander in the city and still find streets that are completely empty, even when you would think that every street is jammed with eager tourists snapping away. I tell friend not to stop at the main tourist area for coffee or a [...]