Old Town Square - Prague

The Czech name for Old Town Square is Staromestske Namesti.

Our first night in Prague.  

We had dinner at Old Town Square with Pam's son, Ryan and his friend, Kevin.  Notice the Jan Hus Memorial across the square behind us.

You can also see a stage set up for a live concert.

Kevin, Pam and Ryan

The Jan Hus Memorial is overshadowed by Tyn Church.

The Jan Hus Monument was erected in 1915, on the 500th anniversary of his death. 

He was burned at the stake for his heretical preachings against the Roman Catholic Church. 

Hus's death eventually led to the bloody Hussite Wars (1420-34). 

The sculpture portrays the preacher surrounded by figures representing both the oppressed and the defiant, and a young mother, symbolizing national rebirth. 

The Church of Our Lady before Tyn dominates Old Town Square with it's distinctive Gothic steeples. 

Notice that one steeple is larger than the other, in order to represent Adam and Eve.

The first stone was laid in 1350, but due to religious turmoil, the church was not completed until 1511.

The Old Town Hall and Clock Tower was established in 1338 by King John of Luxemburg.  

Originally, there were two towers.    The Prague Uprising in May 1945 successfully led to the city's liberation from the Nazi occupation.  However, nearly 1700 Czechs lost their lives in this rebellion. One town hall tower was totally demolished. 

The tower that remains today was decapitated during the rebellion.  

It was soon restored to its full height of 215 feet.
The Astronomical Clock is on the other side of this tower.

When the Astronomical Clock was first revealed in 1410, it represented the cutting edge of medieval technology.  On the hour, the two windows open and twelve saints appear in rotation.

The clock contains an elaborate astrolabe displaying the movement of the sun, moon and zodiacal constellations, in addition to telling time in three formats: Central European, Old Bohemian and Babylonian.

An hourly procession of twelve saints was added in the 17th century, as well as a group of allegorical figures reflecting cultural stereotypes of the time - Death as a skeleton (next photo), Vanity as a figure holding a gilded mirror (above), Delight portrayed as a Turk (below), and Greed in the guise of a moneylender (above).

As the hour nears, Death inverts his hourglass, Delight shakes his head, Vanity glances into a mirror, Greed looks on enviously, and the twelve saints, led by St. Peter, emerge from two windows and proceed slowly around.

In 1866 the revolving dial on Prague's astronomical clock was replaced by a a new one fashioned by celebrated artist Josef Manes.  Individual months are symbolized by scenes from peasant life, corresponding with the signs of the zodiac painted on medallions.

You can take a 20-minute ride around Old Town in a horse drawn carriage for about $40.

Six hundred years of history are represented by the building and sculpture of Old Town Square.

Jeannette

Wenceslas Square - Prague

The Czech name for Wenceslas is Vaclav.  

The Czech name for Wenceslas Square is Vaclavske Namesti.

Wenceslas Square was named in 1848 in honor of St. Wenceslas (also known as Good King Wenceslas), the patron saint of Bohemia.  During Medieval times, beginning in 1348, this area had been a horse market.

Looking up Wenceslas Square, which is actually

more of a boulevard than a square.

There is always some sort of exhibit in the center of the Wenceslas Square.

Pam is enjoying this blanket of yellow tulips.

Tulips and pansies

Artistic arrangements draw pedestrians up the six block walk to the National Museum at the top of Wenceslas Square.

Pansies

The current beauty of Wenceslas Square is deceiving.

This small marker honors two young men who burned themselves to death in protest of the Soviet invasion of Prague in 1968
(commonly referred to as Prague Spring).

Jan Palach set himself on fire at the top of Wenceslas Square in front of the National Museum on Jan. 16, 1969.  He died three days later after issuing a statement that he set himself on fire to protest the Soviet occupation.

One month later Jan Zajic became the second member of a small suicide pact.  The members of this pact promised to give their lives in protest of Communism.

Grand Hotel Europa
Built in 1905
Wenceslas Square is lined with stunningly beautiful buildings.

At the top of Wenceslas Square is a bronze equestrian statue of Good King Wenceslas (built in 1912).

Equestrian statues tell how the rider died.
If both of the horse's front legs are in the air, the rider died in battle.
If one leg is raised, the rider died from injuries received in the line of duty.
If all four legs are on the ground, the rider died of natural causes.
Good King Wenceslas was murdered by his brother.

Wenceslas was the second ruler of Bohemia.
He became king in 922 at the age of 15.
In 929, on his way to mass, King Wenceslas was murdered at the church door by his younger brother Boleslav.
The remains of St. Wenceslas are entombed in St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle.

Behind Wenceslas, you can see the cupola of the National Museum.

Vantage point from St. Wenceslas equestrian statue,
looking down Wenceslas Square.

The statue of St. Wenceslas has always been a gathering place.

National Museum
Top of Wenceslas Square
Completed in 1890

Radio Free Europe (until 2009)
Next to National Museum

View of Wenceslas Square from the National Museum

Fountain in front of the National Museum

Memorial to Jan Palach in front of the fountain

Twenty years after the death of Jan Palach,
Wenceslas Square was the centerpiece of the 1989 Velvet Revolution.
One of the largest demonstrations during those November days drew an estimated crowd of 250,000 Czech citizens.
The Soviet occupation, which had begun in 1948, was finally over.

Jeannette

Prague Castle

Prague Castle is the largest medieval complex in Europe.

 St. Vitus Cathedral is the centerpiece. 
The lower buildings are the castle city complex.
The two small spires to the right belong to St. George's Basilica.

The entrance to the castle contains three courtyards.
Seen here are the offices of the President of the Czech Republic (currently Vaclav Klaus).

Two titans guard the entrance to the first courtyard. Note the two guard houses below.

The guard's uniforms were designed by the same person who designed costumes for "Amadeus," which was filmed in Prague.

First inner courtyard.
Note cage in distant background.

Rumor has it that criminals were placed in this cage for public taunting.

St. Vitus Cathedral rose window.

This cathedral took 1000 years to build from 929 - 1929.

Detail above one of the entrances to St. Vitus Cathedral.

One of three main entrances to St. Vitus.

Above the alter, this is called the "choir" in St. Vitus Cathedral.

The walls of St. Wenceslas Chapel are covered in precious jewels and fine art.

The tomb of St. Jan Nepomuk is made of silver, which was for a while more precious than gold.

There are always five stars above the head of St. Nepomuk.
He was thrown over the Charles Bridge and drowned in the Vltava River.
Then five stars appeared over the place where he drowned, and the people who killed him realized that they had mistakenly murdered a saint.

Many cultures honor the metaphorical legend of St. George (Svaty Jiri) slaying the dragon.

This statue is in the inner courtyard next to St. Vitus Cathedral.

The obelisk in the background was constructed by the builder who finally completed St. Vitus Cathedral in 1929.

Close up of the dragon.

St. George and the dragon.

Basilica of St. George (behind St. Vitus Cathedral)

Detail above side door to St. George's Basilica

Side door of St. Vitus.

Note gold decorations.

Golden zodiac signs decorate the side doors of St. Vitus.

Tulips grow along the side of St. George's Basilica.

Tulips were grown in the Kingdom of Bohemia before they were grown in Holland.

Back of St. Vitus Cathedral

Toy Museum on the castle grounds

Tomas Garygue Masaryk

First president of Czechoslovakia, which became a country in 1918.

Castle guards

View of Prague from the castle

There is so much more, but these are some of the highlights.

Jeannette