Pařížská třída - Paris Avenue

In the first years of the 20th century Pařížská was laid out between Old Town Square and the Čech Bridge. It has always been one of the city's most prestigious addresses, and today it is lined with upscale boutiques, coffee shops, and airline offices. It's a sharp contrast to the gloom and despair of the Jewish ghetto that existed before. Designers used neo-Renaissance, neo-Baroque, and Secession elements. Facades are enlivened with richly decorated windows and balconies while above the eaves rise extravagant gables, attic windows, towers, and turrets. Originally named Mikulášská (St. Nicholas Street) because of the presence of St. Nicholas' Church at the Old Town Square end. In 1926 Pařížská was given its present name, which is best translated as Boulevard de Paris, to pay tribute to France for helping to free the Czechs from Austria-Hungary at the end of World War I.