Old Town Historic Center of Prague Reviews (Prague, Czech Republic)

Old Town Prague

Kingsport, Tennessee

June 20, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo For the past ten years I have been hearing about Prague from other travelers. The city has come up on the top or near the top of their Do Not Miss destination lists and for some reason I always missed this lovely city. Because of a great price on ...Read more

From journal Prague - A Meetin' Place

A True Gothic Experience

by Praskipark

Warsaw, Poland

June 24, 2009

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Best of IgoUgo Narodni trida and na prikope form the boundary between the Old and New Town. At the spot fomerly occupied by one of the 13 town gates stands the splendid, late-Gothic Powder Tower. Built during the late 15th century, its hipped roof and gallery were ...Read more Narodni trida and na prikope form the boundary between the Old and New Town. At the spot fomerly occupied by one of the 13 town gates stands the splendid, late-Gothic Powder Tower. Built during the late 15th century, its hipped roof and gallery were added at the end of the 19th century. For a fine view over the city's 100 towers, a climb to the top is well worth the effort. The tower was used as a gunpowder store from time to time, hence its name. In the 15th century, the palace of the Bohemian Kings stood next door but at the beginning of the 20th century, the fine art nouveau Municipal House was erected in its place and what a fine building it is. Above the entrance is a very impressive, semi-circular mosaic called Homage to Prague. The cafe and restaurant is faithful to the style of art nouveau and if you are a fan you won't be disappointed because this is a real gem.

The Celetna Ulice is a very busy pedestrianised thoroughfare and restaurants occupy many of the vaulted cellars beneath the originally Romanesque houses. Opposite the former Mint (1755) stands the The House of the Black Madonna, which dates from 1912. The dark skinned Virgin Mary in a gilded cage is just one example of the signs which adorned practically every house in Prague, before the introduction of numbers, almost every house had its own name. Other such examples in the Celetna are the House of the Three Kings (No 3) and the House of the Golden Vulture (No 22).

The focal point for the Old Town is the Old Town Square and one of the finest market places in Europe. Having seen many market squares on my travels and throughout my life this never ceases to excite me. To appreciate its huge dimensions, arrive early morning or late evening when it is usually almost empty.

The square is dominated by the 14th century Tyn Church whose 80 metre twin towers have come to symbolise Prague's Old Town. These towers dominate the sky line of Prague and can be seen from outside of the city. On the hour crowds gather at the foot of the Old Town Square's Town Hall tower. They are waiting for the Astronomical Clock to chime, but the Sphere created in 1490 by an academic at Charles 1V University doess not attract quite so much interest. Yet the disc underneath the puppet show displays the position of both the moon and sun and not only does it give Central European time but also Old Bohemian Time which counted from sunset to sunset. Beneath that is a painted calendar. The signs of the zodiac and rural scenes on the copper disc are by Josef Manes, a famous 19th century Czech painter.

The Old Town Hall consists of a whole line of buildings which ends on the corner with U Minuty, a house that is covered with Renaissance sgraffito ( Italian technique of painting where a design is scratched into two layers of plaster with a special tool very much like a comb). You won't miss this house as the beautifully scratched designs on the plaster stands out from the other end of the street.

Off St. Mary's Square is the back entrance to the Clementium. Up until the 16th century, 25 houses, three churches and a monastery occupied the 2 hectare site, but in 1620 a huge Jesuit centre was built. Summoned to Prague by the Emperor Ferdinand 1, the order established a number of educational institutions in the city. Their purpose was to re-educate the Protestants and return them to Catholicism. In one of the inner courtyards, a priest burnt 2,600 Hussite books. The Clementinum now houses the Czech Republic's Natioanl Library and well worth a visit.

Every year, sometimes twice a year I visit Prague's Old Town and I am never disappointed. I love the ambiance of people milling around and the buildings are just adorable. Commercial, it may be but its beauty outshines most other cities.
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From journal The City of a Hundred Towers

Stare Mesto

by Wasatch

heber ctity, Utah

February 12, 2007

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Best of IgoUgo Take the metro to Namesti Republiky and leave by the exit marked “Obechi Dum”. This is important: use ONLY this exit, and look up as you climb the stairs to the street. The street scene that comes into sight is mind blowing - The Municipal ...Read more Take the metro to Namesti Republiky and leave by the exit marked “Obechi Dum”. This is important: use ONLY this exit, and look up as you climb the stairs to the street. The street scene that comes into sight is mind blowing - The Municipal House on the left, the Pariz Hotel to the right. Go to your left, to the front door of the Municipal House and enter, go up and down the main stairs, look into the café and the restaurant for some fine Art Nouveau interiors. Exit Municipal house, turn right to the medieval Powder Gate, turn right, and down Celetna - one of the main shopping streets for tourists - to justly famed Old Town Square Walk around the square.

I skipped the performance of the astronomical clock to explore the nearby streets. She stayed to watch the clock performance, and said I had the better use of the time. Take a look at the interiors of the Tyn and St Nicholas Churches. We popped into St Nicolas during a reversal for that evenings concert, and stood inside the entrance for awhile enjoying some fine music.

Mozart conducted his operas at the Estates Theater, one block down Zelezna, the side street leaving the square across from the side door of the Town Hall tower. There are lots of overpriced restaurant and sidewalk cafés around the square. You pay for the location, but a beer or a coffee at the least is a must.

One block to the right of where Celetna enters the square, we walked along Stupartska for one block, turned right for one block for a peek inside the lovely St James Church. Unfortunately, we arrived between noon and 2pm, when the church was closed, providing only a look through the interior doors at the classic Baroque interior.

From Old Town Square, maps show three routes to the Charles Bridge. We found four. There is also a busy pedestrian passage through the courtyard of the Clementinum Monastery behind the Church of the Holy Savior.

Charles Bridge is one of Prague’s top sights. Walking it both directions is a must. We made the round trip at least once a day, maybe more. By day, the bridge is choked with tourists and artisans hawking their wares, a great place to shop for small art works and jewelry. The towers at both ends of the bridge can be climbed for an elevated view.

Then, from the Stare Mesto end of the bridge, start up Karlova and take the next two rights, toward the Smetana Museum, near which, along the banks of the Vlatva (Moldau) there are great views of Charles Bridge and Prague Castle.

So far, we have covered the heart of Stare Mesto. There remain several nice neighborhoods of Baroque and Art Nouveau buildings, but as tempting as remaining here might be, keep in mind that three more major areas of the city remain to be seen. Best save them for later. Close

From journal Prague Deserves at Least a Week

Old Town Square

by Muchmor

Belleville, Ontario

October 22, 2006

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This is a huge square in the centre of old Prague and is surrounded by ancient and beautiful buildings. There are stunning churches and other buildings of many styles.The most memorable building is that of the Church of Our Lady Before Tye which ...Read more

From journal Prague, the Pretty City

Old Town Square

by Albertrayon

Tampa, Florida

August 28, 2006

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I was here right before Christmas, and the Town Square was transformed into a Christmas village. There were booths all over selling hot drinks and food. There were the usual vendors of small knick knacks, but I also saw some blacksmiths and other ...Read more

From journal Christmas in Prague

Old Town Square

by LenR

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

June 13, 2006

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Best of IgoUgo The Old Town of Prague is spread along the right bank of the Vltava River and around the Old Town Square. The pattern of streets and squares has remained largely unaltered since the Middle Ages. It is an area we kept returning to time after time ...Read more The Old Town of Prague is spread along the right bank of the Vltava River and around the Old Town Square. The pattern of streets and squares has remained largely unaltered since the Middle Ages. It is an area we kept returning to time after time because there was just so much to see and do.

The first settlements on the site of the Old Town for which there is any historical evidence date from the 10th century. According to a contemporary report, a large market place with numerous stone houses covered the site of the present Old Town Square. As the years went by, this market place was fortified with a city wall in the early 13th century. Unfortunately, there is no evidence of this today as far as I could see. In 1338, the Old Town was given the right to have its own Town Hall.

All the busy streets near the border of the New Town lead to the Old Town Square. They approach the square from all sides and make it a natural center. It is the obvious place to start your Prague discovery tour. Despite the touristy trappings and the crowds we found it so interesting that it was tempting to spend all our time here. After wandering around and doing some sightseeing, we stopped at an outdoor café and people watched while enjoying a coffee.

The impressive memorial in the center of the square honours the great reformer Jan Hus and was erected in 1915 on the 500th anniversary of his death. The houses on the east side of the square form a fascinating backdrop and are typical of the Old Town. These and the towers of the Tyn Church, give the square its special character.

The Square has two other showpieces; The baroque Church of St Nicholas and the Old Town Hall. The Old Town Hall dates from the 14th century. The tower was built in 1364 and the famous astronomical clock dates in its earliest form from 1410. Unfortunately, the clock was covered with scaffolding when I visited and was not operating but in normal times it drags crowds to this spot each hour to watch Death ring the death knell and turn the hour glass upside down, the apostles pass the windows and a cockerel flaps its wings and crows. There are guided tours of the Old Town Hall and its exhibition rooms.
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From journal Immersing Yourself in Prague

Prague, the old town

by captain oddsocks

Echuca, Australia

March 16, 2006

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Best of IgoUgo Highlights of Prague’s old town/staré mìsto district are the old town square, the Jewish quarter and the boulevard-like Wenceslas square. The old town square was originally a marketplace. Its dominant buildings include the old town hall, Týn church ...Read more Highlights of Prague’s old town/staré mìsto district are the old town square, the Jewish quarter and the boulevard-like Wenceslas square.

The old town square was originally a marketplace. Its dominant buildings include the old town hall, Týn church and the church of sv Mikuláš/St Nicholas. On the town hall is an astronomical clock that must be among the most recognisable monuments in Europe. Every day thousands upon thousands of photographs are taken by the hordes of tourists that gather to watch the hourly mechanical show. The double-towered facade of the Gothic Týn church peers over the square towards the baroque church of sv Mikuláš, and the art nouveau monument to reformist religious leader Jan Hus in the middle of the square.

Prague’s Jewish quarter lies between the old town square and the Vltava River. Several synagogues and a cemetery survived Nazi occupation because they were intended for Hitler’s’ "Exotic museum of an extinct race". Little else remains of the ghetto after the late19th/early20th century "sanitization" (demolition of the original buildings and the construction of five storey Art Nouveau palaces and leafy boulevards). The old-new synagogue from 1270 is one of Prague’s oldest surviving buildings and the 12000-headstone Jewish cemetery is the oldest in Europe. The Jewish quarter’s most famous son, Franz Kafka, is commemorated with monuments and plaques but lays in rest across town in the Žižkov cemetery. The monuments of the Jewish quarter are closed on Saturdays.

An enormous shopping precinct, lined with brand-name stores, hotels and casinos. Václavské námìstí/Wenceslas square is also central to most of the important events in modern Czech history. There were great gatherings on the square in the revolutionary year of 1848 and again to celebrate independence from Austria-Hungary at the end of WWI. In early 1969, shortly after the military suppression of the Prague spring, a student named Jan Palach set himself alight in protest and died of his injuries a few days later. His funeral became the focus for a nationwide demonstration and a monument to his memory lays at the museum end of the square, near the horseback statue of St Wenceslas that keeps watch along the length of the square. Václav Havel and Alexander Dubèek announced the end of the communist era to an enormous crowd here in 1989.

Karlùv most/Charles bridge was built across the Vltava river before 1400 to replace the Judith bridge, which was destroyed by floods. According to legend, Charles Bridge owes its longevity to eggs mixed into the mortar at the instruction of Europe’s greatest Gothic builder, Peter Parler. The stone bridge has a steep-roofed Gothic tower at each end and is lined on both sides by a series of 30 statues depicting the saints most important to the Czech nation. The pedestrian-only bridge is often extremely crowded and you’ll have to get up very early if you’d like to photograph it without the throngs.

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From journal Czech Republic Highlights - An Itinerary

Stare Mesto Market (Old Town Market)

by tracineb

Amesbury, Massachusetts

September 5, 2005

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I was amazed at the variety of local artists and artisans showing their wares in the Old Town market area. Days can be spent here without tiring of the fantastic quality, pricing, and variety. Special things to watch for are Old Town beer steins, ...Read more

From journal Prague, Czech Republic

Stare Mesto Market (Old Town Market)

by Webgoddess

Burke, Virginia

July 14, 2005

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Best of IgoUgo In Prague’s Old Town is one of Europe’s most beautiful town squares. It is a pedestrian area, which makes it very pleasant to stroll through or enjoy a coffee from one of the popular cafés surrounding the square. It is also the site for the city’s ...Read more

From journal A city that never ceases to amaze

Staroměstské Náměstí (Old Town Square)

by Gabina

Kansas City, Missouri

March 24, 2005

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This is the start of my favorite part of Prague. Every other part of Prague fades in my memory, but not Old Town. And Old Town Square is the culmination of it all. It's just mesmerizing to see all those historical buildings 360 degress around me. ...Read more

From journal Back in the Czech!

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