Once we admire the National Theatre building (
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This embankment is called Smetanovo nábreží, named after the renowned Czech composer Bedrich Smetana. At the end of Smetanovo nábreží, there is a museum dedicated to the life and work of this composer.
However, this waymark depicts the view in the opposite direction. On the left edge of the default photo, the National Theatre building rises, and there is a view of a row of Art Nouveau buildings that form a cohesive line along the Masaryk embankment named after the first president of the former Czechoslovak state (
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"If we had to choose the most beautiful of all Prague waterfronts, the Masaryk Embankment would surely win the prize. This row of extraordinary buildings lining the right bank of the Vltava River from the Legionnaires’ Bridge to the Jirásek Bridge is one of the most photogenic sights in Prague.
With the exception of the short section between the National Theater and Na Struze Street, which is older and was created in connection with the construction of the original chain bridge, the waterfront was built after 1903. It is interesting to note that this is probably the most frequently renamed embankment in Prague. Over the course of the last century, the name of this riverside boulevard changed numerous times. It was originally named after Emperor František (Francis) I. In 1912, it was renamed the Rieger Embankment after the prominent Czech politician of the late 19th century. During World War I, it was called the Vltava Embankment, and in 1942 it was renamed after Heydrich. After World War II ended, the name Rieger was briefly reinstated, and President Clement Gottwald was the inspiration for its final pre-revolution moniker. It has borne the name of the first Czechoslovak President T. G. Masaryk since 1990.
It is interesting to imagine how this part of the Vltava River looked in the late 19th century before city planning regulations came into effect. Between the Jirásek Bridge and the gleaming white Mánes Palace, where you can stroll along the upper embankment as well as by the water, there was a rafting yard. It became one of the places where the sandmen gathered in the summer and the icemen gathered in winter to carry out their trades. This was also the case on the shore across from Slavonic Island, known as Žofín. A plethora of mills crowded the Vltava River channel, alongside the public baths, laundries, and buildings on the bank of the Vojtech district (Vojtešska ctvrt). These were often workshops, manufacturers, and small factories that were water-dependent.
After the Vojtech district was redeveloped, the situation changed significantly. The waterfront was lowered to water level – in some places up to 50 m. This created a street lined with luxury houses, which are a true showcase of early 20th century architecture in Prague."
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