Prague's lampman is back

An old tradition comes back to the centre of Prague. At least before Christmas. If you walk at dusk in the streets of Old Town you may see a man with a dark coat, a grey hat and a long stick. This man is lighting up gas lamps on the streets.

This “lampman” walks every day about 4 o’clock along Celetna street to Old Town Square. From Monday you can see him also in Male namesti. Every day he has to light up 120 lamps. The lampman will walk in the centre of Prague until 23th December.

Gas lamps appeared in Prague in 1847. In the middle of the 20th century they were replaced by electric lamps. Gas lamps came back to Prague four years ago in some parts of the centre of Prague. Normally they are lit up automatically at the same time. Only on special occasion you can see a lampman doing this old job.

If you ask him, he will show you how to light up the lamps and you can try it yourself. This memory might be a nice souvenir to take home, don’t you think?