The joys of the old town square Prague make this capital a very popular place indeed.
How popular can be witnessed just about mid-day when you are struggling with the crowds of people listening to the trumpet player on top of the clock tower on the hour.
The status Prague has for being a popular venue for stag as well as hen parties is true. And you do notice groups of young men and women around town. But very seldom is any nuisance brought about. They are as a rule just experiencing a good time. There is also a excellent police presence.
Prague can be broken down into 3 foremost areas - the castle, the old town and the new town. Each deserves an article of its own. The city is easy to saunter around subsequently getting to each is not a problem. If you are staying outside the major tourist area then the tram system will be brilliant for you.
The city is in actual fact a brilliant open-air museum, which is best explored on foot by means of a excellent travel guide.
Here I am going to share several thoughts on Prague Old Town in addition to its square.
The Old Town is dominated by the square, which has a history going back to the late 12th century. It has always been the central market place for the city and is dominated by The Church of Our Lady of Tưn and the Town Hall.
The square is encircled with pastel-coloured buildings of Romanesque or Gothic origin that are ornamented with quaint signs.
In the square you will come across the popular visitor attraction of the Astronomical Clock that dates from fourteen hundred and ten. Here you can see figures of the twelve apostles who become visible every hour on the hour from 9am to 9pm in 2 side doorways on the wall of the clock tower. A skeleton rings a bell, the clock chimes, a live trumpet sounds a call and 1000's of people witness this every single day. It all ends every hour with the tourist clapping the whole proceedure. You must see it and join in the clapping.
You can also go up the clock tower to get tremendous panoramic views over the square and medieval Prague over the river and up to the castle and Saint Vitus Cathedral. The climb up the steps helps work off any over eating or drinking you might have done and there are lifts designed for any who find the steps a little too much. If you go up the clock tower on the hour you will get a close-up of the trumpeter. You will also be able to look down on the large crowds all clapping the clock.
The centrepiece of the square is the Jan Hus figure, which was erected on 6 July 1915 to mark the five hundredth anniversary of the reformer's death. Born in 1371 A.D and burned at the stake on 6 July 1415 he was the initiator of what is at the moment the Moravian Church.
I like the fact that all the squares plus small streets around the square are still cobbled and in spite of the crowds Prague has maintained its character. You can just wander around and see the lot within a little distance from the old town square. It is a wonderful city for short vacations and weekend getaways.
Small cobbled alleyways lead you up to the renowned Wenceslas Square and the National Museum. It is also in this quarter that the daily market now is.
In a good number of the church buildings around the old town square concerts are performed almost every night and they last just about an hour. After your concert you may well eat in one of the many restaurants around the square or in the smaller squares of the main one.
If you would like to save a bit of money whenever possible eat or have coffees away from main old town square. This goes for buying your drinking water too. Water from a small mart in the alleyways can be a third less costly than on the square.
Prague is very busy and relatively expensive but most capital cities are.
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