Even though you cannot find the Royal Route Prague on the city map, people who live in here as well as the tourists know the Royal Route very well as this is linked along the most significant sights of the city. The Royal Route stands for the ancient symbol of Prague.
The first one took place in 1086 and the last in 1836
The description of the Royal route Prague
The name was derived according to the fact that for many centuries the Czech kings went through it in order to be coroneted in the St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle. The route was the spiritual centre of the whole country and the coronation procession started the route from the Republic Square as there was the city residence of the sovereign which was named Royal Court and they continued via Celetná Street, Old Town Square, the Little Square, Karlova Street, Křižovnické Square, the Charles Bridge in order to get to the other bank of the Vlatava River to Mostecká Street, Lesser Town Square, Nerudova Street, Úvoz, Pohořelec, Strahov Monastery.
The road from Nerudova Street lead to the Castle was not made of stone till the 17th century. The procession continued through Loretto Square through Loretánská Street and Hradčany Square to the Cathedral in order to be coroneted in here.
The symbolic side of the Royal Route Prague
The symbolic side of the Royal Route was in the fact of strengthening the relationship between the kingdom capital and the monarch and a symbol of the importance of Prague as the unique and only one centre of Bohemia. The streets and squares very decorated in order to show their loyalty to the king. In these days the Royal Route is the most frequented route for visitors of Prague.
The history of coronations of Royal Route Prague
The first one took place in 1086 and the last in 1836 so in total 28 Czechkings and Czech queens were crowned and blessed with holy oil. The first king who underwent the coronation was Vratislaus I and in the 13th century the coronations became regular.