History of the House of the Golden Snake
The corner house U Zlatého Hada (By the Golden Snake) originated when two medieval plots of land were joined together in 1419. Documented historical records show that even in those days it used to be a well-known tavern. But the building only got its name and the sign of the golden snake in the 18th century, when it housed a pharmacy. You can still see the original sign above the entrance to the Beer Restaurant.
It is still unclear to this day why a golden snake was chosen as a symbol of the house. Even though at the time the snake was mainly a sign of mistrust and deception much like the one who tricked Eve in the garden of Eden, it was also a gothic symbol of apothecaries or what we know as pharmacies today.
In Greek mythology a healing snake was often depicted but always accompanied by a staff or a bowl as a part of the depiction and never a snake alone. A very different snake was also a symbol of alchemy which was a respected science in Prague especially in the 16th century, but it is hard to tell for sure what was happening at the spacious cellars of the house.
Also if you will take a look at Biscione symbol related to the Visconti family of northern Italy you will find an undeniable resemblance. Historians and heraldry experts are still trying to find the true story behind the beautiful golden snake with a crown that is keeping an eye on the house since the 18th century.
Nevertheless through the years the house was surrounded by the great beverage experience as if the old tavern’s spirit was beckoning it back. In 1714 the Armenian trader Deodatus Dajamanus sold coffee outside the building to passers-by and that was the first time that the exotic novelty was served in Prague.
In the first half of 19th century a famous Beer and Wine Saloon of Karel Knobloch was situated on the little square in front of the house, which not only had great beer from its own brewery but also entered the history books as the first established saloon to offer pilsner beer in Prague and as a frequent meeting place for well-known writers and visual artists.
The age old coffee tradition returned to the house a little later in 1974 when Cafe At the Golden Snake was opened and served as an assembly point for members of the Prague bohemian artist group Hollar, bibliophile and writer Arthur Novak, painter Otakar Nejedlý and his students from the Academy of Fine Arts.
In 2022 Beer Restaurant U Zlatého Hada pleased the old tavern’s spirit by returning the tradition of high quality beer and culinary experience to the heart of the old house, which happily welcomes every guest who passes through its doors.
