You are probably familiar with the song "Good King Wenceslas." Well, here you can even see a statue of him. For history buffs, this is where the Velvet Revolution took place. It’s basically a big boulevard (not really even a square) that feels disjointed from the Lesser and Old Town areas. It’s very modern and feels more like what you would expect from a big city. Originally a horse market, it got its present name in the mid-19th century. It is the main centre of modern Prague surrounded by shops, cinemas, office blocks, hotels, restaurants and cafés. The 750 m long and 60 m wide square has been the scene of a great deal of Czech history. In 1969 a university student Jan Palach burnt himself to death in protest against the Warsaw Pact invasion and in November 1989 protest meetings against police brutality were held here and led to the Velvet Revolution and the end of communism in Czechoslovakia. In the middle of the square is a monument of St Wenceslas on a horse accompanied with sculptures of four Czech patron saints.

Definitely worth checking out, especially at night when things in Prague tend to take on another worldly feel. Be careful in this area, though. Pickpockets and the like keep their eyes out for unconcerned tourists.

Less a square than a boulevard, Wenceslas Square is a very long (750m) rectangle. The street slopes upward to the southeast end where the grand neoclassical Czech National Museum stands. The northwest end is the border between the New Town and the Old Town.

The museum end of the street is dominated by a mounted statue of Saint Wenceslas, made by Josef Václav Myslbek in 1887–1924. Unfortunately, the statue was covered with scaffolding when I visited so it had lost much of its appeal. Wenceslas is the good king Vaclav from the Christmas carol, who was murdered by his brother over a thousand years ago, and who over the years has become the national hero. The image of Saint Wenceslas is accompanied by other Czech patron saints carved into the ornate statue base: Saint Ludmila, Saint Agnes of Bohemia, Saint Prokop, and Saint Adalbert of Prague.

Beside the statue a plaque stands in memory of those who were killed during the Communist period. It would be very easy to miss this one if you are not aware of it. Included on the plaque is a picture of Jan Palach, who at the age of 20, set fire to himself in January 1969 to protest the Soviet invasion of his country. Over 800,000 people came to his funeral.

Wenceslas Square is currently considered to be the main street of Prague’s commercial district. Apart from its commercial importance, however, it is also of major historical interest, it was first laid out over 600 years ago and since then has been a regular parade ground for every kind of person, organisation or political party The wide boulevard was originally constructed during the Charles IV period when it was used as a horse market. Today the street is a hustle and bustle of commerce, tourist shops, restaurants, casinos, hotels, and countless shops.

It was here that the first mass protest of the Velvet Revolution took place in November 1989, leading to the downfall of the Communist regime. With its beautiful landscaped gardens and plenty of benches to sit on, it's a great place to relax and people watch. There is much to see there but some of it is a little on the seedy side. You go from Casino's and clubs with dancing girls to fancy hotels and restaurants.

The Prague Metro's Line A runs underneath Wenceslas Square, and the Metro's two busiest stations, Muzeum and Můstek, have entrances on the street. Tram tracks were removed from the street in 1980.

When you slip out of the winding cobblestoned lanes of the Old Town, you step into one of the most powerful squares in Europe. Wenscesclas Square, site of numerous protests, was, most recently, the site of the 1989 Velvet Revolution. Students and other citizens gathered in this square in November 1989 to oppose Communist rule. From the top, by the statue of King Wenscesclas, you can feel the energy of the years of revolution that have transpired in this square. One of the more modern sections of Prague, Wenscesclas Square is, conversely, also one of the most historically important.

Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske Namesti) is named after the famous Bohemian king who was assassinated in 935 AD and is considered a martyr to the Czech people. Wenceslas Square is a very broad and hilly commercial center of Prague lined with expensive Western-influenced shops and restaurants, but it is a place full of history that is not to be missed during your visit to Prague.

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.

Our first stop the morning after our late night arrival in Prague was Wenceslas Square where the only American Express office in Prague is located. We were unprepared for the expansive boulevard that confronted us. " Square" connotes a place smaller and less panoramic to us than Vaclavske Namesti is. Despite the crowds that thronged it, its charm overwhelmed us. Flowers bloomed in the medians amid an autumnal, misty morning. After walking many narrow streets to arrive there, its immensity caught us with surprise at its panoramic dimensions. You want instantly to take many photos of it. Of course, my eye sought out the Hotel Europa, the Grande Dame of fin-de-siecle hotels . Yes, submerged glory waiting to rise to a repolished surface, clicked my brain as I spotted it across the square. Soon I hope, murmured my heart.

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.