Old Town Square

In the centre of Prague

Contrary to what its name suggests, the Old Town Square is a square. It is the site of important events and the home of many important personalities who have left their mark on Prague's history. It is a panopticon through the history of the "golden city", as Prague is also called. To get started, it is recommended to take a walk around the square and admire the magnificent facades of buildings from various eras, such as the Old Town Hall, St. Nicholas' Church and St. Tyne's Church, as well as the surrounding palaces and houses. Since the tram traffic on the square was shut down, everything here is pedestrian zone.

Prague is indeed very old: as early as the 10th century, a large trading centre was mentioned in Prague on the Vltava and the city was praised for its buildings of stone and lime. Which, in a time when the majority of buildings were made of clay and wood, already speaks for great wealth, which undoubtedly resulted from the favourable geographical location.

In the cellars of the oldest houses from the Romanesque and Gothic periods, you can find old vaults - for example in the House of the Poor Devils (U lazara) or the House of the White Unicorn (U Bílého jednorožce). A Gothic town palace, which served as an inn for royal guests and reflects the splendour of the former capital of the Holy Roman Empire, is the House of the Stone Bell, built in the 14th century and today part of the Prague National Gallery and used for exhibitions. The neighbouring rococo building, Palais Golz-Kinsky, with its stucco façade dominating the square, is also famous and is now the exhibition site of the National Gallery. Among others, the world-famous poet Franz Kafka (1883-1924) went to grammar school here. The names of other houses represent the custom, typical of Prague and also found in other old parts of the city, of naming houses not by their numbers but by the signs clearly visible at their entrances (House of the Red Fox, House of the Golden Angel, House of the Ox, House of the Storks).

Teyn Church and St. Nicholas Church

The silhouette of the Gothic Teynkirche with its two striking double towers is literally outstanding and unmistakable. It is famous for its beauty, but also for its role in the Bohemian reform movement. Inside is the tomb of the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601). The visual counterweight on the other side of the Old Town Square is the Church of St. Nicholas with its magnificent Baroque and Rococo decorations, where concerts are held regularly.

Jan Hus Monument

These buildings have seen a lot, as world-shaking events have taken place on the square: The Jan Hus Monument in the middle of the square commemorates the burning of the Czech church reformer in Constance (1415); revolutions were put down and their leaders punished, such as the 27 Protestants executed on Old Town Square in the aftermath of the Battle of White Mountain (June 21, 1621), for whom white crosses are set into the ground in front of Old Town Hall.