Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
twin spires that loom over nearby
Starom
ê
stské nám
ê
stí, the church was
closely connected to the 14th-century Hus-
site movement for religious reform. Note
the tomb of Danish astronomer Tycho de
Brahe (d. 1601), near the high altar.
Exit the church and continue a few more steps
along Celetná, which opens up into:
6
Old Town Square (Staromêstské
námêstí)
Surrounded by baroque buildings and
packed with colorful cafes, craftspeople,
and entertainers, Starom
ê
stské nám
ê
stí
looks the way an old European square is
supposed to look.
Old Town Square has also seen its
share of political protest and punishment.
Protestant Hussites rioted here in the
1400s. In the 1620s, the Catholic Habs-
burg rulers beheaded 27 Protestants here
and hung some of the heads in baskets
above Charles Bridge. A small white cross
has been embedded in the square near the
Old Town Hall for each of the beheaded.
To begin your walk around the square, go
straight toward the massive black stone
monument in the center. Here you'll find the
statue of:
7
Jan Hus Statue
Jan Hus was a fiery 15th-century
preacher who challenged the Roman
Catholic hierarchy and was burned at the
stake for it. The statue's pedestal has been
used as a soapbox by many a populist
politician trying to gain points by associ-
ating himself with the ill-fated Protestant.
From here, turn around and walk left toward the
clock tower.
8
Old Town Hall (Staromêstská
radnice)
Try to time your walk so you can pass the
hall and its
Astronomical Clock
at the
top of the hour. It may be an understated
show, but each hour a mechanical parade
of saints and sinners performs for the
crowd watching below (p. 239). If you
have time and your knees are up to it, try
making the steep, narrow walk up to the
top of the tower for a picturesque view of
Old Town's red roofs.
Walking past the right side of the clock tower
toward the northwest corner of the square,
you'll come to:
9
St. Nicholas Church
(Kostel sv. Mikuláse)
This is the 1735 design of Prague's
baroque master architect K. I. Dienzen-
hofer. The three-towered edifice isn't as
beautiful or as ornate inside as his St.
Nicholas Church in Lesser Town, but the
crystal fixtures are worth a look.
From the front of the church, walk behind the
back of the Hus monument, through the square,
to the broad palace with the reddish roof and
balcony in front. This is:
0
Kinsk; Palace (Palác Kinsk;ch)
From the rococo balcony jutting from the
palace's stucco facade, Communist leader
Klement Gottwald declared the prole-
tariat takeover of the Czechoslovak gov-
ernment in February 1945. Italian
architect Lurago designed the building
for Count Goltz. It was later taken over
by the Habsburg Prince Rudolf Kinsk
;
in
1768. It now houses a fine modern art
collection in the
National Gallery
com-
plex of palaces (p. 240).
Next to this is the:
!
House at the Stone Bell (D*m U
kamenného zvonu)
The medieval Gothic tower was built in
the 14th century for the father of Charles
IV, John of Luxembourg.
From here, head back toward Old Town Hall, but
then about midway to the tower, turn left
toward the square's south end and begin walk-
ing down Zelezná. Continue down this car-
restricted walking zone about 300m (984 ft.);
then, on the left you'll see the pale green:
@
Estates' Theater (Stavovské
divadlo)
Mozart premiered his opera
Don Giovanni
in this late-18th-century grand hall.
Make sure to walk down Rytí
r
ská in
front of the theater to get a full view of
this beautifully restored building.
