Hotel Ungelt Prague

he word Tyn is probably of Celtic origin and also means a marketplace enclosed by a wooden fence. From the 10th until the 18th centuries international commerce and the collection of customs duty on imported merchandise was concentrated on the Tyn Court (or Ungelt) in Prague. Foreign merchants had to report here and present their merchandise and only after it had been cleared through customs could they begin to sell it. The revenue from customs duty belonged to the king but it was collected for a fixed share by the town. In the picture you can see the west gate of the Court. On the right is a beautiful renaissance building, no. 639, with porticoes, graffiti and frescoes. The architectural beauty of the whole area has become apparent since the recent reconstruction that was carried out. The buildings in the Ungelt are today used mainly for tourism (shops, restaurants) and as luxury offices for major companies.