Old Town Square (Czech:Staroměstské náměstí[ˈstaroˌmɲɛstskɛːˈnaːmɲɛsciː] or colloquiallyStaromák[ˈstaromaːk]ⓘ,German:Altstädter Ring) is a historic square in theOld Town quarter ofPrague, the capital of theCzech Republic. It is located betweenWenceslas Square andCharles Bridge.
The square features buildings belonging to various architectural styles, including theGothicChurch of Our Lady before Týn, which has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. Its characteristic towers are 80 m high. The BaroqueSt. Nicholas Church is another church located in the square.
Prague Orloj is amedievalastronomical clock mounted on theOld Town Hall. The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still in operation. The tower of the Old Town Hall is open to the public and offers panoramic views of the Old Town.
Anart museum of the CzechNational Gallery is located in theKinský Palace.
The square's centre is home to a statue of religious reformerJan Hus, who wasburned at the stake inKonstanz for his beliefs. This led to theHussite Wars. The statue known as theJan Hus Memorial was erected on 6 July 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of his death.
In front of theOld Town Hall, there is also a memorial to the "martyrs" (includingJan Jesenius andMaxmilián Hošťálek) beheaded on that spot during theOld Town Square execution byHabsburgs, after theBattle of White Mountain. Twenty-seven crosses mark the pavement in their honour. The crosses were installed during the repairs of the Old Town Hall after theSecond World War,[1] while a nearby plaque which lists the names of all 27 victims dates from 1911.[2] Orthodox Czechs do not trample these crosses out of respect.
On 3 November 1918, aMarian Column that had been erected in the square shortly after theThirty Years' War was demolished in celebration ofindependence from theHabsburg empire.[3] The column was re-erected in 2020.
AtChristmas andEaster, markets are held on the square; they resemble medieval markets. A tall decorated tree and a musical stage are set up.
The Christmas Markets in Old Town Square are the largest Christmas markets in the Czech Republic and are visited by hundreds of thousands of visitors from the Czech Republic and abroad, primarily Germans, Russians, Italians and Britons.[4][5] In 2016,CNN ranked Prague's Christmas Markets among the 10 best ones worldwide.[6]
50°05′15″N14°25′17″E / 50.0875°N 14.4214°E /50.0875; 14.4214
