There is no other district in Prague with as many beautiful palaces and stunning squares as the Lesser Town. In the past, the life and evolution of one of the four medieval townships forming the basis of today’s Prague was influenced mainly by the proximity of the Castle, the administrative centre of the country. Unlike the winding streets of the Old Town, the Lesser Town and Hradčany exude a completely different charm. While craftsmen, merchants and officials lived on the right bank of the Vltava River, the area beneath the castle was settled by artists, painters and builders – and above all the nobility. Today, the number of streets named after crafts can be counted on one hand. Cihelná (Brick) Street near Charles Bridge has alone retained its eloquent name; since ancient times, clay suitable for the production of bricks and roof tiles was excavated here. A modern brickyard was built in 1781 by well-known Prague entrepreneur František Leonard Herget, and today the building houses the Franz Kafka Museum, a restaurant and exhibition spaces. On 2 June 1541, the Lesser Town was engulfed by the most destructive fire in its history. The laxness of the culprits, compounded by an unusual drought and high temperatures, wooden buildings and stables filled with hay and straw, helped the unquenchable element burn 133 of the 211 houses in the Lesser Town to ashes, including the St. Vitus Cathedral, or the barely completed Vladislav Hall and the Ludvík wing of Prague Castle. Some two dozen people found death in the fiery inferno. Yet the fire, one of the worst in Prague’s history, had one positive impact – paradoxically, it opened up space for the advent of the Renaissance, which became the core style of buildings on the left bank of the Vltava River, transforming the Lesser Town into one huge construction site. The small houses were replaced by palaces, representative buildings and churches. Construction (and reconstruction) intensified even further during the heyday of the Baroque. Today, the streets of the Lesser Town and Hradčany are often named after the former owners of the large and luxurious palaces: Thunovská, Valdštejnská, Černínská, Chotkova or Šporkova. These names, however, were mostly bestowed only in the 19th century; the inhabitants of the time had no problem identifying the palaces and houses. After all, long before the numbering of houses was imposed by Maria Theresa in 1770, it was customary to distinguish between burgher and merchant houses by a house sign painted on the facade as part of the decorative front, most often directly on the plaster or on a wooden gable. It usually took the form of a stone or wooden sculpture or stone relief, and depictions of animals, plants, objects, crafts and celestial bodies were especially popular. A golden colour gave the house a hallmark of wealth or, on the contrary, expressed the desire for it. The sign was reflected in the name of the whole house. Walking up to Prague Castle along Nerudova Street, you will come across Dům U Tří housliček (At the Three Violins), Dům U Dvou slunců (At the Two Suns), Dům U Červeného lva (At the Red Lion), U Zeleného raka (At the Green Crayfish), U Bílé řepy (At the White Radish), U Červeného beránka (At the Red Lamb), U Zlaté podkovy (At the Golden Horseshoe), U Zlatého kola (At the Golden Wheel), Dům U Zlaté číše (At the Golden Goblet) or Dům U Bílé labuti (At the White Swan). The houses usually have an interesting history and are linked to incredible stories and myths. The last of those named above was occupied by Matěj Provazník, who allegedly had a swan painted on the facade in the early 17th century. Legend has it that his father’s mind had become quite confused in old age, and he lived with the conviction that everyone wanted to rob him. He continuously hid all the family property in bizarre places, finally taking the secret of the last hiding place to his grave. The survivors searched in vain for the family inheritance – it was as though it had disappeared into thin air. Having fallen upon hard times, Matěj was worried that he might have to sell the house. He spent many a restless night, until finally falling into an uneasy slumber. Half dozing and half awake, a white swan came to him in a dream, waddled to a corner in the kitchen, stood a while, squawked and then disappeared. The same dream recurred the following night. Matěj did not linger and examined the corner of the kitchen thoroughly. A thin crack revealed the tile under which the lost inheritance was hidden. There are over 260 preserved house signs in Prague. All the same, the house with the golden tiger above the Gothic portal in Husova Street in the Old Town is probably the most popular among Prague residents and tourists. Naysayers claim it is more likely due to the famous Pilsner beer hall on the ground floor…