In the heart of Prague’s oldest neighborhood, the historic Mala Strana or “Little Quarter”, there is a street so narrow that it’s impossible for two people to get past each other no matter how hard they try. The street named Vinarna Certovka is actually a 50-centimeter wide passage (70 centimeter according to some sources) that runs for a length of about 10 meters between several houses close to the Charles Bridge. The street consists of several stone steps leading from the U Luzickeho seminare street to the Certovka restaurant at the edge of the Certovka canal.
For the convenience of pedestrians, but mostly for novelty, two traffic lights were installed on either end of the street to signal when the street is free or occupied. Most people who use the street are tourists. They push the walk button, take a few pictures and when they go, they don’t take the light seriously, so usually end up colliding with someone coming from the opposite end.
“One time, one really corpulent German tourist got stuck" remembers the owner of Certovka Restaurant. "She couldn’t go up or down. The personnel tried to push her back to the street, but in vain. In the end we had to soap her, so she would slide more easily. She just had to go somewhere else for her lunch."
Also see: The Narrowest Streets in the World
Sources: ABC Prague / Waymarking (Thanks Jotaro Zen for the tip)
That's quite nice that people obligate the rules in Prague at this point :) That would be much better if they would do it at more European cities... :-D
ReplyDeleteAye Aye, Captain!
I was in Prague several times, but I've never seen this street. I want to go there!
ReplyDeleteNext time, for sure ...