
Kutná Hora
U Jelena Street
Kutná Hora is abundant in picturesque winding narrow streets. One of them is the street U Jelena, on which you'll find a wayside shrine. It was here that Edith Piaf sat down with one of the ladies from the brothel, where Edith's father placed his little daughter for some time.
The film shows the tiny street as a grim unhappy place, but in real life it's full of light, with the trees next to the wayside shrine shining green beautifully in summertime. However, don't go looking for the wooden framework of the house you've seen in the film, as it was merely a backdrop used to resemble the Paris of the period.
If you wish for some greenery, the street U Jelena lies halfway between the City and Brükner Gardens (Městské a Brüknerovy sady). It's very pleasant to have a rest and a snack in the shade of one the trees here, especially on a hot summer day. Not far from here, you'll find the house where Josef Kajetán Tyl, a significant figure of the Czech National Revival (18th - 19th century) and author of the lyrics to the Czech national anthem, was born. The house shows an exposition on his life and work, and a part of the Czech Silver Museum, dedicated to the exploration of the Kutná Hora underground. If you're interested in the history of Czech silver mining and its processing, you can take a pleasant walk around the town and visit other thematic expositions in Hrádek and the Stone House (Kamenný dům).