In the middle of Wenceslas Square is the famous statue of St. Wenceslas on horseback. Surrounding the statue are many Art Nouveau buildings and architecture. Many historical events took place at this statue. As a child, I remember seeing documentaries on TV of the Prague Spring and Velvet Revolution and the statue of St. Wenceslas.

In 1968, Soviet and Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia after the nation declared free elections. Soviet and Warsaw Pact tanks rumbled through Wenceslas Square, and it became a center of protests by the Czech people. The most famous protest was by Jan Palach, who set himself on fire and died in protest of the invasion of his nation. There is a small memorial to Jan Palach near St. Wenceslas's statue honoring this tragic moment in Czech History.

In 1989, people came back to Wenceslas Square to demand and celebrate the end of communism in Czechoslovakia. This was known as the Velvet Revolution and spurred other peaceful revolutions throughout communist Eastern Europe and eventually the Soviet Union in 1991.

It is safe to walk around St. Wenceslas Square during the day or early evening, and it is best done in a group. It is not recommended to walk the square at night.

But, sadly, we didn’t explore the hotel’s ambiance because we had just become separated from our son who was to spend the rest of the day in Prague with no transport card and token Czech money in his pocket! That’s how crowded the square was. With anxiety, we went to the Amex office to get Czech money, the all-important Prague Card, the 3-day transport pass, and especially the useful booklet that accompanies the Prague Card. Without it, we would have never known about the Technological Museum and been able to navigate the rather labyrinthine way to it. Although I had read several guidebooks on Prague I found most inadequately prepared a visitor for coping with Prague’s treasures. Although Prague has become an immensely popular tourist destination, many guidebooks provide inadequate information about the city primarily because it is so packed with still hidden sights that the Czechs have not blatantly advertised.

Understandably, Prague’s release from Communist domination has colored most recent depictions of it, and guidebooks have tended to emphasize its late twentieth century transformation, especially at Vaclavse Namesti.

After our stop for wherewithal, we, of course, rushed like lemmings to the Hrad. At day’s end, we reconnected with our son at our hotel. He was limping from his long-range walking about this magnificent city and did not recover for almost a week. Prague can have that "must-see-it-all-at-once" effect on you. Yet, I think its joys reveal themselves to those who see it by simply strolling its byways, not just its main streets and squares. Visiting off the beaten path museums and sights not frequented by crowds (in Vysehrad, Mala Strana, Holesovice) allowed us to appreciate that seeing Prague’s "lesser" sights whets the appetite for a return visit . Prague is more than just its "top sites", like this historic square.

While many of the stores and restaurants have begun to take advantage of the premium prices that tourists are willing to pay, bargains can still be had (or could be, when I visited in 1993). The best part of visiting Wenceslas Square for me was heading to the pastry shops, where you could purchase filling pastries for less than five cents. But as I was munching away on my cream-filled confection I couldn't help feel a sense of dread looking over across the street at construction beginning on a Kentucky Fried Chicken.