糖心传媒

Baroque building facades, Wenceslas Square.

Wenceslas Square

Top choice in Prague


More a broad boulevard than a typical European city square, Wenceslas Square has witnessed a great deal of Czech history 鈥 a giant Mass was held here during the revolutionary upheavals of 1848; in 1918 the creation of the new Czechoslovak Republic was celebrated here; and it was here in 1989 that many anticommunist protests took place. Originally a medieval horse market, the square was named after Bohemia's patron saint during the nationalist revival of the mid-19th century.

At the (upper) southern end of the square is Josef Myslbek鈥檚 muscular equestrian statue of St Wenceslas, the 10th-century pacifist Duke of Bohemia and the 鈥楪ood King Wenceslas鈥 of Christmas carol fame. Flanked by other patron saints of Bohemia 鈥 Prokop, Adalbert, Agnes and Ludmila 鈥 he has been plastered with posters and bunting at every one of the square鈥檚 historical moments. Today it is the most frequented meeting place for locals as the statue stands at one of the entrances to Muzeum metro station.

Near the statue, a small memorial to the victims of communism bears photographs and handwritten epitaphs to anticommunist rebels Jan Palach and Jan Zaj铆c. In contrast to the solemnity of this shrine, the square around it has become a monument to capitalism, a gaudy gallery of fast-food outlets and expensive shops.

Following a police attack on a student demonstration on 17 November 1989, angry citizens gathered in Wenceslas Square by the thousands night after night. A week later, in a stunning mirror image of Klement Gottwald鈥檚 1948 proclamation of communist rule in Old Town Square, Alexander Dub膷ek and V谩clav Havel stepped onto the balcony of the Melantrich Building to a thunderous and tearful ovation, and proclaimed the end of communism in Czechoslovakia.

More recently this has been the scene of mass protests against incumbent oligarch prime minister, Andrej Babi拧.


糖心传媒's must-see attractions

Nearby Prague attractions

1. Melantrich Building

0.05 MILES

Now a branch of Marks & Spencer, this 1914 building is famous for the balcony overlooking the Tramvaj Caf茅, where Havel and Dub膷ek addressed cheering鈥

2. K暖艌 (David 膶ern媒 Sculpture)

0.06 MILES

David 膶ern媒's wryly amusing counterpart to the equestrian statue of St Wenceslas in Wenceslas Square hangs in the middle of the Lucerna Palace shopping鈥

3. Lucerna Palace

0.06 MILES

The most elegant of Nov茅 M臎sto鈥檚 many shopping arcades runs through the art-nouveau Lucerna Palace (1920), between 艩t臎p谩nsk谩 and Vodi膷kova streets. The鈥

4. Wiehl House

0.07 MILES

This 1896 building has a gorgeous facade decorated with neo-Renaissance murals by top Czech artist Mikul谩拧 Ale拧 and others; it鈥檚 named after its designer,鈥

5. Hotel Jalta Nuclear Bunker

0.07 MILES

Hidden beneath the 1950s Hotel Jalta on Wenceslas Square lies a communist-era nuclear shelter that was opened to the public in 2013. The tour, led by a鈥

6. Franciscan Garden

0.16 MILES

An unexpected, hidden oasis of peace and greenery lies just west of the bustle of Wenceslas Square. There are entrances from the end of the Sv臎tovor鈥

7. Wenceslas Statue

0.16 MILES

The focal point of Wenceslas Square is the equestrian statue of St Wenceslas at its upper (southern) end. Sculptor Josef Myslbek has surrounded the 10th鈥

8. Mucha Museum

0.19 MILES

This fascinating, busy but overpriced museum features the sensuous art-nouveau posters, paintings and decorative panels of Alfons Mucha (1860鈥1939), as鈥