The Lane is a very picturesque and one of the most visited corners of Prague and Prague Castle. The Lane originated in the course of a building of the nothern fortification of the Castle during a reign of king Vladislav Jagiello at the end of the 15th century. In 1597 emperor Rudolf II. decided to give this area that is close to an internal side of the Castle wall to a disposal of the Castle shooters to build here their houses. In this period 24 houses were built with miniature cells where the Castle shooters lived together with their families. In 1657 only 14 houses remained. Gradually craftsmen, clerks, bellringers, flunkies and others started to live here. In the 19th century here lived the artists, odd fish, Prague poor people and even people of a half-world. In 1917 in the house No.22 shortly lived a writer Franz Kafka. According to the legends during a reign of the emperor Rudolf II. the alchemists trying to find a secret of a gold production lived here.