Our series "Puzzles in the Prague" continues... we will move from Vyšehrad (
visit link) to the opposite bank of the Vltava. This district is called Smichov. We'll walk along the Vltava River in a northerly direction and on the opposite bank we'll have a view of the places we've visited on previous walks - The Šitkovská Water Tower
(
visit link) , Dancing House (
visit link) and The National Theatre (
visit link) .
The southern part of this part of Prague is called Rašínovo embankment which is connected to Masarykovo embankment.
The note about default photo
The current default photo does not have the best angle, It would be better to stand about 100-200 meters to the north, Unfortunately, just in these places is a private yacht club, free movement along the river is no longer possible. There is a fence that extends into the river. I tried to ask the manager about the possibility of entering the club's property, but was refused. So, I took the photo from the closest possible spot.
"You will find Rašín Embankment on the right bank of the Vltava River. It consists of a sequence starting with the Vyšehrad tunnel, through Výton, where it crosses the Railway Bridge over to Palacký Square ending at the Palacký Bridge.
In addition to transport the so-called náplavka – the pedestrian zone – runs along most of its space. On the waterfront there is a marked cycle route and it also serves as a great walking promenade. Here, you will find several docks for cruise boats. It also regularly hosts farmers markets where you can buy products from the Czech farmers. The waterfront is also a thoroughfare to the operation of trams and cars. The length of the waterfront is roughly 950 m.
During its existence Rašín Embankment bore different names (e.g. Podskalské Embankment from 1919 to 1924, Vltavské Embankment from 1940 to 1942, Reinhard Heydrich Ufer 1942-1945, and Frederick Engels Embankment 1951-1990) and was divided into different sections.
The section from Palacký Square to Jirásek Square was rebuilt in an embankment in the 70s in the 19th century and was first named Palacký waterfront. The section from the Vyšehrad rock to Palacký Square was rebuilt into an elevated embankment in the early 20th century and it was first named Vyšehradské Embankment. In 1990, the two parts merged under the name Rašín Embankment.
When taking one of our longer cruises along the Rašín Embankment you can see a wide range of Prague's landmarks, such as the Dancing House or Podskalská customs house on Výton. You can also find in our animation about the destinations of our ships and steamers.
Masaryk Embankment lies on the right bank of the Vltava River and includes a segment from Jirasek Square, across Slavic Island and the National Theatre to the Legion Bridge.
In the 19th century the embankment in these places was unregulated. It mainly belonged to major millers and curriers who used the place to process leather. The names of the mills were preserved (for example, Šerlinský, Hackovský, Hamilkovský, Zadák, Lodecké mlýny, Vávruv). The best known is probably Šítkovský from which to this day the Šítkovská water tower remains, and also the names Šítkovská tower and the nearby street Šítkova."
Source: (
visit link)