Prague

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Golden Lane

The tiny multicoloured cottages that cling to Prague Castle’s northern walls were thrown up by the poor in the 16th century out of whatever waste materials they could find. Some contend that its name alludes to a time when soldiers billeted in a nearby tower used the lane as a public urinal, but a more likely source is the 17th-century goldsmiths who worked here. The house at No.22 was owned by Kafka’s sister Ottla, and he stayed here for a while in , reputedly drawing the inspiration from the streets for his novel The Castle. If he rewrote it today, he’d call it The Souvenir Shop.

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