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Old Town & Old Town Square,...
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Take your time to explore the numerous sights demanding your attention...
The Old Town is, like the name probably makes you guess, the original place of settlement in Prague, to be complemented in the 14th century by the foundation of the New Town.
Stare Mesto, like the Old Town is called in Czech, started off as a spacious marketplace of the bank of Vltava around the 9th century. The ongoing trade resulted in a growing wealth of the merchants in the area, finally getting the privileges to form the town of Prague.
Besides the famous Astronomical clock and the Charles Bridge connecting the pitoresque Old Town with the Lesser Quarter, there are other things to be explored:
The Old Town Bridge Tower, for example, is often refered to as one of the most beautiful Gothic constructions in the world, build at the end of the 14th century to serve as both, an ornament for the Charles Bridge and as a watch tower and part of the defensive structure. The tower can be climbed and by doing so, one is rewarded with a stunning view over the Carles Bridge and the banks of the Vltava river up to the Castle.
Situated on the site of the former Royal Court Palace, the Municipal House, the impressive and most spectacular Art Nouveau building in Prague, a Concert Hall and Exhibition Centre, is a popular attraction due to its art nouveau gold trimmings, stained glass windows and sculptures, as well as the restaurant and regular exhibitions and classical concerts.
However, the buidings interior, whose construction dates back to the beginning of the 20th century (1906-1912), is decorated with the works of the best Czech artist from the first decade of the 20th century and never fails to wow its visitors - its exterior, moreover, is dominated by the huge mosaic designed by Karel Špillar, called "Hommage to Prague" as well as the golden roof decorations.
Close by, at the edge of Old Town and right next to the Municipal House, the gothic Powder Tower, once forming one of the 13 entrances to the Old Town as well as being the gateway to the "Royal Route" which leads through the Old Town over the Charles Bridge to the castle up the hill, is definitely worth a stopover.
The tower, whose construction began in 1475 under the reign of King Vladislav II Jagiello, measures 65m in height and can be visited daily between April-October and from 10.00-18.00.
Reaching the Old Town Square, admittedly often crowded with tourists, mostly due to the Astronomical Clock, it also houses terraces, restaurants, cafes, and galleries and is, moreover, just another example of Prague's reputation as a living textbook of 1000 years of European architecture, from Art Nouveau to Baroque, Renaissance, Cubist, Gothic, Neo-Classical and ultra-modern. So, turn around and don't be surprised to find a Gothic right next to a Cubist building, to be followed by the most beautiful Baroque construction.
Altogether, the square is dominated by the monument of Jan Hus, an important Czech reformer and nationalist. Born in 1369, he was for example the first rector of Charles University. The monument, nevertheless, towers over the square since 1915.
Looking closer at the buliding the Astronimocal clock is attached to, one gets the impression that two seperate buildings are linked in one. However, after parts of the Old Town Hall, dating back to 1338 , were destroyed during WWll, a reconstruction was attached which, funnily enough, looks older then the "old part".
However, the 69,5 m tall Town Hall Tower with its neo-Gothic facade can be climbed, too, offering one of the most comprehensive views of the "City of a Hundred Spires". So, take your time and enjoy...
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ADDRESS: |
Staromestske namesti
Prague, Czech Republic |
| OPEN: | individidual sights depending on the season, mostly ~11am-5pm |
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| Entry by | little german |
| from | berlin |
| no. of entries | 161 |
| written on | 0000-00-00 |
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