Hunger Wall

The purpose of the construction was to strengthen the fortifications of Prague Castle and Malá Strana against any attack from the west or south.

A well preserved part of the wall may also be found in the interior yard of the 19th-century house in Plaská Street No.8.

The wall was originally called Zubatá (toothed) or Chlebová (built for bread).

The adjective Hladová (hungry) appeared after a 1361 famine, when the construction works on the wall provided livelihood for the city's poor.

Another myth, recorded in writings of Václav Hájek z Libočan or Bohuslav Balbín, is that the Emperor Charles IV himself worked on the wall several hours every day "to help his beloved people".

The wall above Újezd in Malá Strana
The wall on Petřín
View at the Prague Castle (on the right) and Petřín Hill with Hunger Wall by Václav Hollar from the 17th century