Anděl is a neighbourhood in

Prague 5 Prague 5, formally the Prague 5 Municipal District (''Městská čast Praha 5''), is a Prague city districts, second-tier municipality in Prague. The administrative district (''správní obvod'') of the same name consists of municipal districts Pra ...

's central district of

Smíchov Smíchov () is, since 1922, a district and cadastral area of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, and is part of Prague 5. It is on the west bank of the Vltava river. History It was only on 22 February 1903, that Smíchov was elevated to ...

, centered on a busy interchange. The name means '

angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

' in

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

and originates from the 19th century ''U zlatého anděla'' (Golden Angel) pub originally named after a fresco in the gable depicting an angel. The painting of an angel was preserved after its demolition and is now displayed nearby the metro station entrance. Anděl is an important traffic center.

Prague Metro The Prague Metro () is the rapid transit network of Prague, Czech Republic. Founded in 1974, the system consists of three lines (Line A (Prague Metro), A, Line B (Prague Metro), B and Line C (Prague Metro), C) serving 61 stationsCounting the thre ...

's Line B runs beneath it, Anděl Station serving the area.

Tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

way lines in north–south and east–west direction cross there (lines 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14 and 20). Otherwise, it is a

pedestrian zone Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town restricted to use by people on foot or ...

. After redevelopment in the late 1990s, when French architect

Jean Nouvel Jean Nouvel (; born 12 August 1945) is a French architect. Nouvel studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was a founding member of ''Mars 1976'' and ''Syndicat de l'Architecture'', France’s first labor union for architects. He has ob ...

designed an office building called Golden Angel (''Zlatý Anděl'') above the Metro station with a picture of an angel from the movie ''

Wings of Desire ''Wings of Desire'' (, ; ) is a 1987 romantic fantasy film written by Wim Wenders, Peter Handke and Richard Reitinger, and directed by Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of its hu ...

'' and quotes from

Rainer Maria Rilke René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 December 1875 – 29 December 1926), known as Rainer Maria Rilke, was an Austrian poet and novelist. Acclaimed as an Idiosyncrasy, idiosyncratic and expressive poet, he is widely recognized as ...

on its facade, Anděl became one of the busiest parts of the city, with many offices of national and international companies. Across it (in the north-west quadrant), one of Prague's biggest shopping malls, Nový Smíchov, can be found, including multiplex cinema Cinema City; another multiplex, Cinestar (former Village Cinemas), is nearby in the Anděl City complex. Smíchov Synagogue is also in the area.

Gallery

Busy centre of Smichov Prague CZ 713.jpg, Anděl crossroad from Nádražní Street viewed towards Štefánikova Street in the north. Smichov synagogue.jpg, Smíchov Synagogue from northwest, Zlatý Anděl on the left Praha, Anděl, Nádražní ulice.jpg, Anděl from further south; Zlatý Anděl complex on the left Districts of Prague Streets in Prague Smíchov {{Prague-geo-stub