Alchemists, or goldsmiths?
Legend says Emperor Rudolf II's alchemists tried to make gold here. There's no evidence of that; the name more likely comes from goldsmiths who lived on the lane in the 17th century.
Urban Tales › Prague › Golden Lane
Golden Lane: the history, and where Kafka wrote at night
A row of doll-sized houses built into the castle's northern wall, home to guards, goldsmiths, a fortune teller and, for one winter, Franz Kafka. Here's what you're looking at, and what to listen for as you walk down it.
Builtlate 16th c.
First residentscastle guards
Kafka's houseNo. 22
Kafka there1916–1917
Hear the Golden Lane story, in the app's voice
A short preview. The full story plays on its own when you walk up to it with Urban Tales.
Three stories most visitors miss
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Kafka's winter at No. 22
His sister Ottla rented the small blue house at No. 22, and Franz used it to write in the evenings during the winter of 1916–1917, walking back down to the city at night.
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The fortune teller's house
At No. 14 lived Madame de Thebes, a fortune teller who predicted the fall of the Nazis. She died after being arrested by the Gestapo in 1943.
TipClimb the stairs at the east end to the upper corridor, where the castle guards' armory is displayed along the walls. With Urban Tales running, the lane's story plays as you walk in.
Nearby landmarks
Golden Lane: common questions
Did Franz Kafka live on Golden Lane?
He wrote at No. 22, a house his sister rented, in the winter of 1916–1917.
Why is it called Golden Lane?
Probably after the goldsmiths who lived there in the 17th century; the story of alchemists is a legend.
Do you need a ticket for Golden Lane?
Yes, during the day it's part of the Prague Castle ticket circuits.