Prague, Czech Republic: Wenceslas Square

While Old Town in Prague is nice, the so-called New Town adjoining it is also very, very interesting. The center of it is Wenceslas Square, and the big attraction there is a large statue of Wenceslas.

Have you heard the song "Good King Wenceslas" at Christmas? Probably. Then you should know that the King was actually a Duke. He united the Czechs in the 900s, and was a literate and enlightened leader. Wenceslas brought Christianity to the region, formed an alliance with the Roman Empire, and became a symbol of Czech nationalism. This saint may hear some prayers from his people if things go badly.

Up the hill a bit is the National Museum. It was built in the 1800s to show that the Czechs were a separate people and deserved their own country some day; it was part of Austria-Hungary at the time. If you look closely at the building, you can see bullet holes causes by shots from Soviet forces when they came to the square in August 1968. It's amazing to walk this area, realizing that Soviet tanks were on the streets restoring Communist control. It's also amazing that this is the same area in which Vaclav Havel proclaimed to a few hundred thousand countrymen that the Communist government had resigned.

This is not a square, but instead a long rectangle. Many of the buildings on it are beautiful. It all makes for one of the best walks in Prague, which is saying something.



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