Archduchess Anna of Austria

Getting around

River transport speeds and challenges

While river travel was faster, reaching up to 150 km per day downstream, upstream travel was difficult and slow, often requiring boats to be towed by animals or people at speeds of no more than 25 km per day.

Daily life

Drinking beer instead of raw water

Because raw water was often unsafe, residents relied on low-alcohol beer for everyday hydration, while urban water was sometimes supplied through conduits to public collection basins.

What people wore

Clothing as a valuable, durable investment

Clothing was considered a valuable investment that was not disposable, often passed down through inheritance, sold, or kept until it literally fell apart. Caring for and mending garments was a daily task, especially for women, and was essential for maintaining one's livelihood and social standing.

Music

Instruments in private Prague homes

Prague citizens frequently kept instruments such as lutes, clavichords, virginals, or regals in their homes for playing polyphonic music.

At the table

Beer as a daily necessity

Water was rarely drunk because it was often unsanitary, so people consumed diluted, low-alcohol beer as a primary beverage, even giving it to children. Weak beer, sometimes called patoky, also served as a nutritious, energy-providing soup ingredient for the lower classes.