Old Town Square in Prague – history, photo, description, attractions, map
The capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Zlata Prague, as it is lovingly called, delights with ancient monuments of architecture, grandiose religious buildings, medieval narrow streets. The mild climate, beautiful nature, cozy hotels, excellent local cuisine and relatively low prices make Prague attractive for tourists.
Story
The historical part of the city is divided into the Old Town and the New Town. They are connected by the legendary Charles Bridge, which has become a symbol of the capital. The Old Town Square is located in the Old Town.
The first mention of this place dates back to the beginning of the 10th century. In this place, at the crossroads of trade routes, the largest market in Europe was formed in the 12th century. In the 13th century it received the name Stary Rynok, and from the 11th century it was named Staromestsky. Merchants even from other countries came here to make trade deals. In those days, there was a brisk trade in fabrics, clothing, wood products, clay and leather. As well as food products – fragrant bread and muffins, gifts of nature, gardening, gardening and dairy production – berries, mushrooms, vegetables, fruits, cheeses, butter, cottage cheese. Fish was brought from the north of the country.
Over the centuries, this place has been called differently – Staromestsky Platz, Big Square. Until now, the name received in 1895 – Staromestskaya, has been preserved, and the locals call it Staromak. Folk festivals, fairs and trade deals were held here, as well as people were publicly executed. In 1422, Zhevlinsky, who raised the poor against the nobility, was executed; one of the leaders of the Hussites, Jan Rogach, was killed in 1437. In the first quarter of the 17th century, 27 people were executed for attempting to overthrow the Austrian Habsburg dynasty.
Over time, the square becomes a cultural center: in the XIY century, the construction of the Tyn Church began, then the city hall and the tower were erected, on which the legendary astronomical chimes were installed. Since the 60s of the last century, it has been forbidden to enter Staromak by transport – now it is a walking area for pedestrians. But if you wish, you can see all the sights by going around them in carriages drawn by one or more horses.
Description
The area has the shape of a square, the size of which is almost 15 thousand square meters. m. Located along the perimeter of the house combines several architectural trends – elegant rococo, renaissance, luxurious baroque, they logically complement each other. The area is beautiful with a bizarre mixture of styles. During the day it is crowded, many tourists want to see the sights of the capital.
Guests are entertained by street musicians, illusionists, suddenly reviving figures of mimes – performances run until late in the evening. Costumed processions, colorful festivals, fairs and other events take place here almost constantly.
You can spend the whole day on the Old Town Square and you won't be bored, because there is enough entertainment here – in addition to street entertainment, you can see the paintings of masters in an art gallery or wander through the Romanesque dungeons, dine in an old beer garden, drink aromatic coffee with delicious pastries, visit a church service or an organ music concert, buy some souvenirs.
There is no need to talk about Czech beer – this is the national drink, hundreds of varieties of beer are brewed here, including home breweries according to ancient traditions. In the famous beer house “Old Town Restaurant” visitors will be offered many varieties of this traditional drink. The building of the restaurant harmoniously fits into the style and architecture of the city.
Tables in the warm season are already located in front of the entrance and you can enjoy not only dishes and drinks, but also watch the life of the city. The cozy interior is decorated in an ethnic style – solid wooden furniture, many indoor plants, paintings with landscapes of medieval Prague are hung on the walls. The Tourism Center is located on the square – here you can learn about the sights of the city, buy booklets and get a map of the city for free.
sights
In the center is a monument to Jan Hus. On the western part there is a town hall and a tower with Orla chimes. It housed the organs of self-government. In the northern part is the church of St. Nicholas (Mikulas) is one of the religious buildings that are not related to Catholicism. The church belongs to the “Czechoslovak Hussite Church”. In the eastern part there is a Palace belonging to the Kinsky family.
One of the brightest representatives of the family is Berta Kinskaya, Nobel Peace Prize winner. The medieval mansion “At the stone bell” is interesting – its front part is made in the Gothic style. It is distinguished by a house sign – a bell made of stone. This building hosts exhibitions of contemporary artists.
The Tyn school in the eastern part is one of the oldest educational institutions in the capital. Founded in the last quarter of the 13th century, its students were taught in Latin. The institution existed until the middle of the 19th century, then it was transferred to another building. On the main facade you can admire the fresco “Ascension of the Virgin Mary”. Of the decorating elements, the most impressive are the arched gallery, a paired window and arcades with remnants of sgraffito (sgraffito is a type of finish when several multi-colored layers of paint are applied to the ground, after drying, the desired pattern is scratched in this place) in the Renaissance style.
One of the interesting buildings is the “House at the Minute”, which is part of the town hall complex. It was originally built in the Gothic style and dates back to the 10th century, but then, after repairs, it acquired the features of a renaissance. At the beginning of the 17th century, the facade was decorated with black and white sgraffito paintings on historical, biblical and mythological themes. The building houses the Organization of the Prague Magistrate for the Protection of Monuments, on the ground floor of a cafe where you can taste many varieties of tea, coffee and desserts.
The Trchkovsky House, another name for it is “At the White Unicorn”, built in the XY century as the residence of the Trchkovsky family. The Cathedral of the Virgin Mary in front of Týn was built nearby. On the square there are several small medieval buildings – the Strochovsky House, the front wall of which is decorated with Renaissance frescoes. One of them depicts St. Wenceslas on horseback, and a statue of the Madonna is installed above the entrance. The facade is decorated with an elegant balcony in the new Gothic style.
A house with a strange name “At the stone lamb”. Particularly curious people can see on the house sign that the lamb is depicted with a horn. Some believe that this is not a lamb, but a unicorn. A natural question arises why the house is called “at the lamb”. “At the stone table” – here from 1907 to 1914 there was a fashionable salon Fantova-Wertime. It was visited by famous people, including: Einstein and Kafka. On the house there is a fresco “Consolation of the Suffering”. There are several other small medieval buildings on Staromak, each of which has its own names. All buildings are perfectly preserved and complement the appearance of the square, making it unique.
Town Hall with astronomical clock
Old Town Hall – the visitor enters the vestibule, decorated with magnificent paintings, followed by other rooms.
Brozhikov Hall – decorated with paintings by the artist Vaclav Brozhik on historical subjects. Its area is equal to the area of the entire building. Here is the chair of the mayor, in which visitors are allowed to sit.
Sculptures of the goddess of justice Themis and Christ are installed in the Conference Hall. On the walls are coats of arms of artisans – coopers, shipbuilders, shoemakers and representatives of other professions. Some coats of arms are easy to explain, shoemakers, for example, have boots, but there are also symbolic ones – Adam and Eve are depicted on the coat of arms of potters as a sign that God created man from clay.
Romanesque dungeon – here are sculptures of saints, prison (the square used to be a place of execution) and storage rooms. Wells are also located here, it is known that the town hall consists of several buildings, united by underground passages and basements.
Jiříkov hall – decorated with rich chandeliers and beautiful decoration in brown tones.
Marriage registration is held in the town hall – a wedding ceremony in a medieval setting makes this action unique and memorable. In addition, tourists can see the ancient premises inside the town hall: see the clock and sculptures, paintings and frescoes. At the top of the tower is an observation deck – a great chance to admire the city from a height and take great photos for memory.
If we talk about the town hall, then its real decoration and attraction are the Orloi clock, the chimes. The creation of clocks began in 1410. This difficult task was entrusted to masters Mikulas Kadan and mathematician Jan Shindel. The creation of clocks in this busy place is dictated by the need – so that people do not be late for church services and trade deals.
In the XY century, a dial with a calendar was made and sculptures in the Gothic style were installed. The figures of the apostles appeared in the 19th century. Astronomical chimes, as in previous centuries, show the present and the old Czech time. Chime discs have four main components. They are located against the background of the Earth and the sky, show the image of the zodiac ring, the Moon and the Sun. The clock shows dawn and sunrise, and the golden star shows the vernal equinox.
Every hour during the day there is a fascinating action in the medieval style. At the right moment, the figure personifying Death starts the mechanism. Figures of 12 apostles appear in the upper openings. Everyone holds a certain object in their hands, for example, St. Matthew has an ax, and Peter holds a key. All sculptures are individual, they have different poses, faces and even facial expressions.
Slightly lower in the side parts are sculptures personifying Greed, Death, the Turk and the Archangel Michael. These figures also come into motion – the skeleton turns the clock and nods to the Turk, the Turk shakes his head negatively, the miser shakes his purse, and Michael punishes the sinner with a sword. During the Second World War, the chimes were significantly damaged, but were restored. Now thousands of tourists admire the masterpiece created by talented craftsmen and scientists.
Church of St. Nicholas
The church was built on the site of a building known since the 13th century. It was rebuilt several times, the last rebuilding was carried out in 1732-1737. As a result, a grandiose religious building in the Baroque style appeared in the city. The interior has a magnificent organ, stained-glass windows with images of Saints Wenceslas and Mikolash.
Since 1787, by order of King Joseph II, the religious buildings of the country were closed, the same fate befell the church of St. Mikulas, it was occupied by the city magistracy for its needs. Grain was stored here, then furniture, documents, books. Since the building was dilapidated over time, it was decided to demolish it. In 1870, the temple was leased to the Russian Orthodox Church, which saved it from destruction – the temple was restored.
Many items were donated by the Holy Synod, as were the bells cast at the expense of Russia. A grandiose chandelier (horos) adorns the interior decoration of the room. The chandelier was presented by the Russian Emperor Alexander II in honor of the 12th birthday of Tsarevich Nicholas. Made at the Harrachov Manufactory and has the shape of an imperial crown. The church was consecrated in August 1874, but after the war Orthodox services were banned. Since 1997, Easter and religious processions have been allowed in the temple at Christmas.
Monument to Jan Hus
The monument to Jan Hus was erected in 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of the execution of the national hero of the Czech people, accused of heresy. The author is Ladislav Shaloun. In the center is the figure of Jan Hus, turned to face the Tyn Church. Along the perimeter there is an inscription by Jan Hus: “Everyone wants love and truth.” The composition consists of two groups of people – one group represents the victorious warriors, supporters of Hus, the other – emigrants who were expelled two hundred years after the execution of Hus. Between them is the figure of the Woman-Mother, symbolizing the rebirth of the people.
Church of the Virgin Mary in front of Týn
The church is a functioning Catholic temple, which includes elements in the Gothic and Baroque styles. The construction of the grandiose structure lasted almost 200 years and ended in the middle of the 17th century. A magnificent Hussite temple appeared in the city. In 1679, the building was seriously damaged by the largest fire, its nave (a longitudinal element in the construction of the temple) became much lower. In the XYII century, during the reconstruction, the old Gothic towers were replaced by buildings in the Baroque style.
Today it is a basilica 52 meters long, 28 meters wide, 70 meters high. The interior of the building is magnificent, it contains 19 altars, an old font and a stone pulpit dating back to the 10th century. In the altar on the right side of the nave there is a statue of the Madonna with the Christ child in her arms. The walls of the church are decorated with paintings by Shkreta and paintings by other famous artists. Praguers are proud of the unique organ of the church, it was made by the German master Mundt, at the beginning of our century in Bonn, its careful restoration was carried out.
There are more than 60 graves here, not only famous people, but also ordinary parishioners: the astrologer Brahe, Bishop Lucian and a child from a Jewish family, Shimon Abeles. He secretly attended church, and then converted to the Catholic faith. The boy's father, when he found out about this, tortured his son for a long time, and then ordered to kill him. The boy was buried in the temple as a martyr.
Where is it located and how to get there
The Old Town Square is located in the Prague 1 district – in the city center.
You can get to the square by the green metro line to the Staromestka or Mustek station, if you use the yellow line – to the Namesti Republiky station (Republic Square).
Tram number 1, 2, 6, 14, 17, 23, 41, 57, 59 to the stops: Namesti Republiky, Pravnicka fakulta, Staromestska.
Walk along the medieval streets, admire the majestic Vltava, visit grandiose temples, taste amazingly delicious Czech cuisine and buy elegant souvenirs.