About us

Amid the daily hustle, we often hurry by the houses, mansions, and churches lining these streets without truly noticing them.

Tynská Street and Tynská Lane meet at a small, unnamed square situated in front of the northern portal of the Church of Our Lady before Tyn. The names of the streets in this part of the Old Town are derived from Tynsky dvir, or “Ungelt,” a courtyard that served as a vital sanctuary for foreign merchants. These traders were under the protection of Bohemia’s dukes and later its kings.

The nearby streets were named after Tyn rather than the Old Town Square because Tyn, meaning a walled or fortified area, predates the square by centuries. It is, in fact, among the oldest developed locations in the Prague basin. Historically, Tyn was a self-governing hub of international trade, complete with warehouses, lodgings, the original Church of Our Lady before Tyn, and its own hospital. Visitors from the surrounding area were required to leave their weapons at the gate to enter. This thriving merchant center extended its influence to nearby areas, as all merchants visiting Prague were required to pass through and pay duties (known as “ungelt”).