Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Wenceslas
Square
This former horse
market, in contrast to
its medieval counter-
part in the Old Town
(see pp14-17)
, expres-
ses the history of
20th-century Prague,
from its beautiful Art
Nouveau façades to
the memories of the
many marches,
political protests and
celebrations that have shaped
the city over the past 100 years
(see pp30-31)
.
Na P∫íkop∂
Na P∫íkop∂
Formerly a moat protecting
the city's eastern flank, Na
P∫íkop∂ is Prague's fashion
boulevard, counting Benetton,
Izod, Marks & Spencers and
Taiza among its big-name stores.
Shoppers jam the pedestrian
zone and pavement cafés,
streaming between the gleaming
Myslbek Shopping Centre and
Slovansk† d∞m, with its 10-
screen multiplex cinema. The
Hussite firebrand Jan Δelivsk†
preached on the site now occu-
pied by another shopping mall,
the ≥erná R∞≈e Palace.
d
Map N5
Nám∂stí Republiky
The odd couple of the Art
Nouveau Municipal House and
the Neo-Gothic Powder Tower
are the centrepiece of Nám∂stí
Republiky (Republic Square),
facing the Czech National Bank's
stern façade and the Hybernia
Theatre, currently undergoing
renovation. The composer
Frédéric Chopin stayed briefly at
a house that stood at the corner
of Hybernská and Senová≈ná.
Behind the theatre, at Hybernská
7, is the former home of the
Lenin Museum, closed in 1991
after the Communists had lost
power. The unassuming Church
of St Joseph huddles in the
northeast corner of the square.
d
Map P3
Franciscan Garden
The Franciscans moved into
this area near Wenceslas Square
in 1603, reclaiming the former
Carmelite monastery. The
grounds and nearby Church of
Our Lady of the Snow had fallen
into decay following the Hussite
civil war, but the monks
beautifully restored them. The
gardens remained closed to the
public until 1950, when the
Communists thought they were
worth sharing. Although there's
little love lost for the dictatorship
of the proletariat, the gardens
remain popular with young
kissing couples and pigeon-
feeding pensioners
(see p41)
.
d
Map N6
Nám∂stí Republiky
105
