Floriańska Street has always been one of the most important streets in Kraków. Drawn up during the reception of the city charter by Kraków in the second half of the 13th century, Floriańska Street constitutes a significant section of a historical track called the Royal Route, which leads from St. Florian's Church (hence the name of the street) all the way to Wawel Castle. As one of the first streets in the city, it received a sturdy pavement. At the end of the 15th century, most of the houses on Floriańska Street were already made of brick. Although the majority of those houses were rebuilt (especially at the turn of the 20th century), many of them retained a number of elements that testify to their old, often mediaeval origins. The most notable are: no. 3 with an interesting Renaissance portal, no. 5 and no. 8 with late-Gothic portals, no. 7 with an early-Renaissance statue of Virgin Mary and portals of the same style, no. 9 and no. 26 with Renaissance portals, as well as no. 17 whose façade features remains of a chain which was used to close the street at night. No. 14 houses the Pod Różą hotel, the oldest hotel in the city, established in 1800, initially under the name de Russie to commemorate the visit of Grand Duke Konstantin and Tsar Alexander I of Russia. The hotel also accommodated Franz Liszt during his stay in Kraków. However, it is not true that Honoré de Balzac stayed in the hotel, as we learn from a plaque on the outside wall. Instead, the great French writer stayed in one of the cheaper inns in Stradom. The building that houses the hotel comes from the 14th century and has undergone numerous reconstructions.