Paris Street Prague

Paris Street is the 5th Avenue of Prague. It is a place where the Art Nouveau meets the luxurious brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Prada, and where car brands like Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, Ferrari, or Porsche drive through more often than trams on the Wenceslas Square.

The history of Paris street goes back to the Middle Ages when it used to be part of the Jewish Quarter or Josefov. The street was called Mikulasska after St. Nicholas's church standing nearby. This street was a famous location already in the 14th century due to its proximity to the Old Town Square.

Fun facts about Prague Paris street:

• When the Bohemian king and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV established the first-ever Czech University, also known as Charles University, one of the houses on nowadays Paris street was used as a dormitory.
• Originally, Paris street was supposed to go all the way through the Old Town Square to finally connect with another long Prague boulevard - Wenceslas Square. This project would mean destroying more historical buildings in the Old Town. Fortunately, Prague authorities overruled it! 

Starting from the end of the 19th century, Josefov and a part of the Prague Old Town were being demolished during the Sanitation process. This trend of 'clearing out' devastated city quarters came from Paris. Back then, this area in the Czech capital was a sore spot on the face of Prague. The former ghetto was emptied by most Jewish people and became home for marginalized groups. Prague was striving to be a modern capital, so it was time for a radical change. Most of the houses in the former Jewish Quarter except 5 Synagogues, Ceremonial Hall, and the Old Jewish Cemetery were destroyed completely. New apartment buildings were constructed in trendy Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles very popular in Paris. The main boulevard, which stretches from the Old Town Square to Cechuv Bridge, was named Paris street.

Paris street is one of the most expensive places to live today. It is also the area of luxurious shopping. Clothing and accessory brands such as Hermes, Gucci, Dior, Prada, Jimmy Choo, Cartier, Louis Vuitton are located on Paris street. You can also find Pinko, Longchamp, Furla, Celine, Moncler, Burberry, Bottega Veneta, and Valentino there.

Our Local Guide Tip

• Since Paris street is considered to be part of the former Jewish Ghetto, you can find many Stumble Stones in front of the Buildings there. Stumble Stones are memorials to the victims of the Holocaust, which are located on the ground in front of houses where people sent to concentration camps used to live. 
• If you have seen all the stores on Paris street, you can cross Cechuv Bridge and go up the hill (trust us, it's worth it) to the famous Letna Park, where the Letna Beer Garden is located, and hang out with real locals.

See more of our Prague Travel Tips.

We visit this street on our Prague Free Walking Tour.

Author: Valeriia Zahradnikova and Vaclav Zahradnik, Prague guides certified by Prague City Tourism agency. Valeriia and Vaclav have worked in tourism for over 6 years and have guided thousands of Prague visitors.