Golden Lane at Prague Castle reopens

President Václav Klaus and first lady Livia have reopened the newly reconstructed Golden Lane, one of Prague’s top tourist attractions. The Prague Castle alley, with its picturesque row of Mannerist-style houses dating back to the late 15th century, has just undergone the most extensive reconstruction in its history. The lane had to be repaired mainly because of its outdated sewer system, which threatened the houses' foundations. The repair works were launched last May at a cost of 34 million crowns. Some of the houses will now serve as museum exhibits with their interiors reflecting their legendary uses as goldsmiths’ workshops or alchemists’ laboratories. The houses were in fact mostly inhabited by castle guards and servants.