Old Town Square

The Old Town Square is the oldest and most important square of the historical Prague. It is surrounded with historical buildings such as the Old Town City Hall with the famous Astronomical Clock, the imposing St. Nicholas Church and Church of Our Lady before Tyn, and many houses and palaces of various architectural styles and colourful history. It has been a centre of Prague Old Town since the middle ages, when it was a market place at the crossing of European merchants´ roads.

 

The Old Town Square was founded in the 10 th century as a place, where various goods from faraway countries were sold. It had many names during the centuries: the oldest known name is the Big Square, then it was the Old Market in the 13 th century, later for example The Old Town Place or the Large Old Town Square. The present name is from the end of the 19 th century.

 

The first houses were built around the Old Town Square in the 12 th and 13 th century. Some of the present houses still have their Romanesque or Gothic foundations, basements or ground floors. The Old Town City Hall was built in the 14 th century and the Church of Our Lady before Tyn a little later. The Old Town Square became the economic and political center of Prague Old Town.

 

Coronation parades used to go through the Old Town Square to the Prague Castle since 1311. Tragic events, such as executions, took place there as well. Leader of poor Prague citizens Jan Zelivsky was executed there in 1422, which caused stormy protests.

 

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