The Old Town Square (*)
Wenceslas Square(**), looking towards the National Museum
National Museum @ Wenceslas Square
the National Museum
Wenceslas Square...
Another view of the National Museum
Wenceslas Square...
Wenceslas Square, towards the other end. Photo taken from the National Museum
Old Town Square (*)
The Old Town Square is the heart of Prague's historical center. This beautifully restored square is a must see!. On one side, the Gothic spires of the Týn Church towers over the square, and the Astronomical Clock on the Old Town Hall on the opposite side of it.
One of the historical entrances to the Old Town is the Powder Tower. Connected to the tower is the exquisite Municipal House, Prague's Art Nouveau gem.
The large monument in the middle of the Old Town Square is the statue of the reformer Jan Hus (John Huss), one of the most important personalities in Czech history. A hundred years before the Protestant Reformation was started by Martin Luther, Jan Hus was burnt as a heretic for reformist ideas.
(**)Wenceslas Square: Reminded us the Champs-Elysees in Paris, Wenceslas Square is one of the main squares and the centre of the business and cultural communities in the New Town of Prague.
Many historical events had occurred there, and apperantly it has been a traditional setting for demonstrations, celebrations, and other public gatherings. The square is named after Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia.
More a boulevard than a square, Wenceslas Square has a shape of a very long (750 m,) rectangle. On one end, the street is bordered by the grand neoclassical Czech National Museum.
The street is dominated by a mounted statue of Saint Wenceslas, made between 1887–1924 and located in front of the National Museum. The image of Saint Wenceslas is accompanied by other Czech patron saints carved into the ornate statue base.
Some History:
- On October 28, 1918, the proclamation of independence of Czechoslovakia was read in front of the Saint Wenceslas statue.
- The Nazis used the street for mass demonstrations. During the Prague Uprising in 1945, a few buildings near the National Museum were destroyed. They were later replaced by department stores.
- In 1989, during the Velvet Revolution, large demonstrations were held here.
- Today, Wenceslas Square is lined by hotels, offices, retail stores, currency exchange booths and fast-food joints.
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