Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Old Town Square
As the heart and soul of the city, no visitor should, or is likely to miss the Old
Town Square
(Starom
∂
stské nám
∂
stí)
. A marketplace was located here in the
11th century, but it was in 1338, when John of Luxembourg gave Prague's
burghers permission to form a town council, that the Old Town Hall was built
(see p16)
and the square came into its own. Today, it has a lively atmosphere,
with café tables set out in front of painted façades,
horses and carts waiting to ferry tourists around the
city and street-sellers hawking their wares.
Top 10 Features
1 D∞m u Minuty
2 House at the Stone Bell
3 Church of Our Lady Before T†n
4 Church of St Nicholas
5 Jan Hus Memorial
6 Marian Column
7 Ungelt
8 ◊torch House
9 Golz-Kinsk† Palace
0 Malé nám∂stí
Jan Hus Memorial
The cheapest beer on
the square, aside
from that in plastic
cups, is at U
Mravence, U Radnice
20, north of the Old
Town Hall.
Resist the
temptation to climb
on the Jan Hus
Monument. Doing
so, or trampling the
flowers will earn you
a fine, as well as
embarrassment.
Church of Our
Lady Before T†n
This Gothic edifice
(below)
began as a humble
church serving residents
in the mercantile town
(t†n)
in the 14th century.
Following architectural
conventions of the time,
the south tower is stouter
than the north one.
D∞m u Minuty
The “House at the
Minutes”
(above)
probably
takes its name from the not-
so-minute
sgraffito
images
on its walls. The alchemical
symbols adorning
Starom∂stské nám∂stí 2 date
from 1611. Franz Kafka lived
in the black-and-white house
as a boy
(see p44)
.
• Map M3
• Old Town Hall: 224
482909, Open Apr-Oct:
10am-6pm Tue-Sun;
Nov-Mar: 10am-5pm
Tue-Sun, Adm K≤60
House at the
Stone Bell
Formerly done up in Baroque
style, workers discovered the
Gothic façade of this house
as late as 1980. On the
southwestern corner is the
the bell which gives the
house its name. The
Municipal Gallery often hosts
temporary exhibitions here.
14
