Litovický potok

Have you ever wondered what Prague looked like before its grand squares and cobblestone streets were built? Before you stands the Litovický potok. It may not be as flashy as the Vltava River, but it’s a silent witness to centuries of change. This little stream, just 13.3 kilometers long, has its beginnings in the countryside near the town of Chýně. Imagine, it once flowed through wild and untamed woods, whispering tales of a Prague yet to be. It meanders its way through a network of ponds, each one a historical treasure waiting to be uncovered. One of these ponds, the Litovický rybníček, is a place of quiet contemplation, where ancient energy lingers. This was once the heart of a thriving fishing industry. People gathered here to pull in their catch, their voices echoing through the valley, an orchestra of sounds that the Litovický potok carried away, its gentle current carrying tales of life and livelihood. The Litovický potok then continues onward, its path leading it through fields of sunshine and meadows filled with wildflowers. During the reign of Rudolf II, Prague thirsted for a source of fresh water to quench the thirst of the thirsty Prague Castle. Clever engineers, they built a brilliant system, leading water from seven ponds in Litovice, Břeve, Chýně and Zličín, through a channel specifically meant for it, the royal ditch. This ditch, called the “královská strouha”, carved its way to the Libocký rybníček. From this pond, the water then travelled through an open channel, past Veleslavín and Střešovice, to the castle’s water tower in Střešovice, where it was finally piped up to the castle. Today, the Litovický potok flows under the shadow of the Prague Castle, its journey now a hidden stream, its secrets whispered into the ears of a modern city.