The Tyn Church, the Old Town Hall Tower and St. Nicholas Church are just three of the treasures found in what is arguably Europe's finest Square.
The Old Town's narrow streets and cobbled alleys may be crammed with fabulously varied architecture, intriguing restaurants and wonderful bars. But they're also packed with tourists. So many visitors to Prague end up making their way to the Old Town Square (or Staromestske Namesti) just to get away from the busy intensity of the rest of town. That, and the fact that it happens to be the most beautiful square in Europe.It dates back 800 years, as the first market-place for the small settlement Prague then was. Despite the intervening years, which saw the switch of Prague's focus to the western bank – when Prague Castle became the home-palace of the Holy Roman Emperor – Staromestske Namesti only grew in stature and splendour. Three Prague icons front the Square – the Old Town Hall Tower (with its magnificent Astronomical Clock) the twin fairy-tale spires of the Tyn Church and the contrasting copper-topped domes of St. Nicholas Church. But the lynch-pin of the square is the Jan Hus Memorial.Jan Hus was a radical preacher, for his time in the 1400s, daring to question the orthodoxies of the Catholic Church. He was burned at the stake for his defiance. The massive monument was unveiled in 1915, on the 500th anniversary of his martyrdom. It remains inspirational to Czechs to this day, as a symbol of standing up against repression. Prague's communist-era citizens would sit on the steps under Hus to show their dissent.Nowadays, you're more likely to find markets at the foot of the monument. The Old Town Square hosts special market events at Easter and Christmas. Their stalls are laden with traditional hand-crafted decorations, tasty Prague snacks like Mazanec, and the best of Czech produce from farm, orchard and sea. The prices may be expensive, and the crowds ever-present – but the backdrop is sublime.
