Old Town Square

In the 14th century the city built around the Prague Castle expanded to the right bank and as early as 1091 a market existed at the site of the old town square.

The square and surrounding streets are pedestrian zones, and during summertime it is filled with terraces from where the many tourists can relax in the middle of many remarkable medieval buildings. Some of the most prominent buildings around the square are the Old Town Hall, the Týn Church, the Kinsky Palace and the St. Nicholas Church.

In the north-east corner of the square is the large Jan Hus Monument. It was erected in 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of the reformer's death at the stake. Jan hus (Jana Husa), born in 1369 was besides a reformer also a fervent Czech nationalist. In 1415 he was declared heretic at the council of Constanz.

The sculpture was made by Ladislav Saloun and was inspired by the works of the famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The statue depicts the persecution of the Czech nationalists and their reemergence 200 year later with the figure of Jan Hus in the middle.