Prague’s geological foundations have long attracted the attention of natural scientists. Around 1.5 million years ago, at the centre of the Bohemian Massif, the river Vltava first encountered the rigid sandstone of Letná, setting the stage for the emergence of medieval Prague. In the early 19th century, the French geologist and palaeontologist Joachim Barrande meticulously charted Prague’s Ordovician strata and the organisms preserved in its rock, contributing to the foundation of the discipline of modern palaeontology.

This programme retraces Barrande’s path using his maps, drawings and diaries, to explore the region of Barrandien, which forms a central part of the Bohemian Massif. Guided by local scientists, we will undertake fieldwork in this ancient morphological rift. We will search for built and unbuilt moments that disrupt its singular geological direction: interruptions in the ancient flows of rock, water and culture. We will also be joined by a multidisciplinary team of partners and experts who will guide participants through workshops on analogue and digital drawing, the interpretation of specialist data, GIS and model-making.