Lipence

Lipence is the southernmost part of Prague, sitting within the Prague 5 district on the right bank of the Berounka river, exactly where the city's built-up fabric gives way to the softer, greener countryside of Central Bohemia. It's a place where suburban streets meet riverside calm, and a short walk along the water can make the city center feel much further away than it actually is.

Where does the name come from and how did this part of Prague form?

Today's Lipence is the result of a merger between two older settlements — Lipany and Lipenec — which combined into a single municipality in the mid-19th century. The history of Lipany itself, however, reaches back much further: the earliest known written record dates to 1115, when the Bohemian duke Vladislaus I granted a subject from Lipany, along with his land, to the newly founded Benedictine monastery in Kladruby. That makes Lipence one of the places around Prague with an unusually long documented settlement history.

When did Lipence become part of Prague?

For most of its history, Lipence existed as an independent municipality, administratively belonging to the Prague-West district. That changed in 1974, when a law on the reorganization of the capital's territory incorporated Lipence into the Prague 5 district. Since then it has functioned as its own municipal part — Praha-Lipence — while retaining a distinct, noticeably more rural character compared to the denser neighborhoods closer to the city center.

What is life like in Lipence today?

Lipence is a relatively small but populated part of the city — home to more than three thousand residents, spread across 58 streets and nearly 900 building and land registry numbers. The area is dominated by detached family houses with gardens, which sets it clearly apart from the compact urban fabric closer to the Vltava. Its location on the floodplain along the Berounka keeps the terrain flat, and the river forms a natural axis around which local life — walks, recreation, and everyday routines — tends to revolve.

What should you know before visiting?

Lipence isn't the kind of destination with a checklist of monuments to tick off; its appeal lies instead in the quiet, semi-suburban atmosphere it offers within the boundaries of a major capital. It suits visitors looking for a bit of water and greenery without straying too far from Prague itself. The proximity of the Berounka invites riverside walks, and the settlement's history — stretching back to the early 12th century — adds an unexpected historical depth to a corner of the city whose current buildings are, for the most part, far more recent.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lipence on the Vltava river? No — although it's part of Prague, Lipence lies on the Berounka, a tributary of the Vltava, in the city's southernmost stretch.

Since when has Lipence been part of Prague? Officially since 1974, when a law reorganizing the capital's territory placed it within the Prague 5 district. Before that it belonged to the Prague-West district.

Was Lipence originally two separate villages? Yes — Lipany and Lipenec merged into a single municipality in the mid-19th century to form today's Lipence.

How many people live in Lipence? More than three thousand, across an area of 58 streets and nearly 900 building numbers.