Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Church of St Nicholas
Prague has two Baroque
churches of St Nicholas, both built
by Kilian Ignac Dientzenhoffer. The
architect completed the one in Old
Tow n
(right)
two years before
starting Malá Strana's
(see p82)
.
Regular concerts here give visitors a
chance to hear the church's organ.
Malé nám∂stí
The ornate well in
the centre of the “Small
Square” doubles as a
plague memorial. The
elaborate murals of
craftsmen on the façade
of Rott House
(below)
are the only decoration
now left. Until the early
1990s, the building was a
hardware store.
Jan Hus Memorial
Hus was burned at
the stake in 1415 for
proposing radical Church
reform. The inscription
below the figure of Hus
reads “Truth Will Prevail .
◊torch House
An Art Nouveau
equestrian painting of St
Wenceslas is the focal
point of the house at
Starom∂stské nám∂stí 18.
Jan Hus
The rector of Prague
(later Charles) University,
Jan Hus was dedicated
to fighting against cor-
ruption in the Church.
He was declared a
heretic by the Church,
and was summoned to
Germany where he was
burned at the stake.
Czech resentment
turned into civil war,
with Hussite rebels
facing the power of
Rome. But the Hussites
split into moderate and
radical factions, the
former defeating the
latter in 1434. Hus is
still a national figure -
6th July, the day he was
killed, is a public holiday.
Golz-Kinsk†
Palace
Once occupied by
Communists, this former
palace
(centre & below)
now houses the National
Gallery's collection of
prints and drawings and
an up-market restaurant.
Marian Column
On Czechoslovakia's
declaration of indepen-
dence in 1918, this
former column reminded
jubilant mobs of
Habsburg rule and they
tore it down. A plan is
afoot to rebuild it.
Ungelt
The courtyard behind
T†n church was home to
foreign merchants in the
14th century, but today
it is home to smart
boutiques and cafés.
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