On vacation in the Czech Republic and want to know which is the main square in Prague? Do you wish to know what to see, when to go and how to get there?
In this article, let’s find out together everything you need to know about Prague’s Old Town Square, the city’s most important square.
Are you ready? Let’s start
Visit the Prague Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square
Take time to visit this magnificent 15th-century clock by skipping the line at the ticket office. Cancellation is possible up to 3 hours before the date of the visit.
Old Town Square Prague
The Old Town Square stands in the heart of Staré Mesto, Prague’s Old Town district.
It is precisely from here that thousands of tourists pass through each year, attracted by the valuable historic buildings that wind their way through its immediate vicinity.
History of the Old Town Square
The first reliable historical sources on which it is possible to find evidence of the existence of Old Town Square date back to the period between 900 and 1200.
It was precisely here that the city market took place and merchants passing through Europe had to pass through.
Only in the late Middle Ages did the square take on the characteristics of an all-round residential area.
Within a few years, places representative of sacred and profane power were built here: from the Town Hall to the Church of the Virgin Mary of Tyn.
Further back in time, we are already in the early 1600s, dissidents were executed here instead.
Several crosses engraved on the sidewalk bordering City Hall recall that practice.
Now the square is still the nerve center of the city, a transit point for those who live in Prague and an essential tourist stop for visitors.
In addition to monuments and buildings of undeniable beauty, in its immediate vicinity are accommodations, a variety of eateries and businesses of various kinds.
Prague monuments to see in the central square
In the immediate vicinity of the Old Town Square rise several buildings worth visiting. Let’s discover them together.
Church of Our Lady of Tyn
Just look up from the ground to be enchanted by the tall Gothic spires of the Church of Our Lady of Tyn (also known as the Church of the Virgin Mary before Tyn).
The towers, as high as 80 meters, are grafted onto a pre-existing structure built in the Romanesque style resulting in perfect architectural harmony.
The interior furnishings of the structure, on the other hand, are affected quite a bit by the later Baroque and Rococo currents.
The church, built around the 1300s, was named after the Tyn marketplace in front of its churchyard. For a long time it hosted meetings of Prague’s Hussite faithful whose symbol was a large golden chalice later removed to make room for the statue of Mary.
Tycho Brahe lies here.
Monument to Jan Hus
In the middle of the square you can see the monument to Jan Hus, one of Prague’s best-known religious reformers.
He was burned alive on this very square back in 1415.
Judged a heretic at the time of the events, he was rehabilitated over the following centuries.
The statue, erected in 1915, has even become one of the symbols of Czech nationalist pride today.
The sculpture, whose moral and ideological value is undeniable, was on several occasions hidden from the view of the people of Prague.
In particular, a long drape covered it under Nazi rule and during theSoviet invasion.
Radnice
The Radnice is Prague’s old City Hall.
The architectural complex consists of a particularly ornate structure also known as the “House at the Minute,” a Gothic tower that can be climbed and houses the Astronomical Clock, and the building that until the 1700s housed the Prague Town Hall.
Here proudly stands a gold inscription in which the city is referred to as the “Caput regni,” or capital of the ancient kingdom of Bohemia.
The Astronomical Clock and the Clock Tower
Those who linger to observe the beautiful architecture of the Radnice will certainly not be able to miss the Prague Astronomical Clock Tower and its Oroloj.
The Gothic building, roughly sixty meters high, houses a very old astronomical clock made in medieval times and over time subject to several modifications and as many restorations.
To this day it marks the time (according to different criteria of computation) and serves as an almanac.
The mechanism, operating from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., every hour gives the people of Prague the opportunity to watch a kind of animated show whose main protagonists are statues depicting the Christian apostles.
They are flanked by sculptures symbolizing the months of the year, the sun, the moon and allegories.
TheOroloj has always played a very important role in the history and life of the city.
It is no coincidence that much of the population refers to Old Town Square as Prague’s Clock Square.
Many also claim that any failure of it can somehow predict the occurrence of ominous events for the Czechs.
The very origin of this construction has something magical and mysterious about it.
For centuries it was believed to have been made by one Hanus in the late 15th century.
The master watchmaker, he was then blinded by the rulers of Prague who thus prevented him from replicating his idea elsewhere.
In revenge the man blocked the clock’s gears.
In reality, the latter was conceived and made in the early 1400s by Mikulas Kadan, a genius watchmaker, and Jan Sindel, an astronomer and mathematician.
Other things to see in Prague’s central square
There is much more to observe around the Old Town Square.
For example, St. Nicholas Church, a splendid example of Prague Baroque, where concerts are periodically held.
It is also interesting to admire the Old Stone Bell House, a pleasant Gothic structure, the Stone House of the Virgin Mary, the Stone Table House, and the Unicorn House.
The nearby Kinsky Palace, a beautiful Rococo-style building houses the present National Gallery.
Prague’s central square: useful information
Price of tickets for Prague Square
You can visit Prague Square for free, but if you want access to the Astronomical Clock, the full ticket costs 300 CZK and the reduced ticket 200 CZK. The family ticket, on the other hand, costs 650 CZK. If you want to admire the clock from a different perspective, I recommend buying a ticket to the Old Town Hall, from whose tower chapel you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the Astronomical Clock.
Below is a list of tickets to visit the Prague Astronomical Clock on your own or with a professional tour guide.
Prague Astronomical Clock: Skip-the-line ticket
Take time to visit this magnificent 15th-century clock by skipping the line at the ticket office. Cancellation is possible up to 3 hours before the date of the visit.
Tickets for Prague City Walking Tour and Astronomical Clock Tower
Visit the Astronomical Clock Tower and explore Prague’s Old Town Square with a professional tour guide who speaks in Italian. Cancellation is possible up to 24 hours before the visit.
Prague Castle + Prague Astronomical Clock: combined ticket
Gain access to the Prague Castle complex and the Astronomical Clock by skipping the ticket line. Rescheduling is possible up to 3 hours before the visit..
Opening hours of Prague’s Old Town Square
The Old Town Square is open every day of the year, all day.
The opening and closing hours of thePrague Clock and its tower, however, vary with the seasons.
| Month | Opening days | Opening hours | Closing hours | Notes |
| January | tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun | 10:00 | 19:00 | mon 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m |
| February | tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun | 10:00 | 19:00 | mondays 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m |
| March | tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun | 10:00 | 19:00 | mondays 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m |
| April | tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun | 09:00 | 20:00 | mondays 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m |
| May | tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun | 09:00 | 20:00 | mondays 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m |
| June | tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun | 09:00 | 20:00 | mondays 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m |
| July | tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun | 09:00 | 20:00 | mondays 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m |
| August | tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun | 09:00 | 20:00 | mondays 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m |
| September | tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun | 09:00 | 20:00 | mondays 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m |
| October | tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun | 09:00 | 20:00 | mondays 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m |
| November | tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun | 09:00 | 20:00 | mondays 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m |
| December | tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun | 09:00 | 20:00 | mondays 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m |
Length of visit
How long does the visit to the Old Town Square Praguetake? To visit the square, it takes at least 20 minutes. If you also want to visit the town hall and the clock tower, however, plan at least 1 1/2 hours.
Old Town Square: where it is located and how to get there
Prague’s Old Town Square is easy to get to. You can do so by subway or by streetcar:
- Metro: Prague Metro Line A stops at Staroměstská, which is located on Kaprova, a 7-minute walk from the square.
- Streetcar: Prague Tram 17-one of the most scenic routes in the city-stops at the Staroměstská stop, 50 meters from the square.
Prague’s central square: frequently asked questions
The clock square is Prague’s Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí).
Yes, the Old Town Square is the heart of Prague and definitely worth a visit. If I didn’t visit it, it would be a bit like going to Milan and not visiting the Piazza del Duomo, in short.
My advice is to go to the central square in the early morning hours (possibly between 8 and 9 a.m.). At these times you will meet only locals and a few photographers. Avoid lunchtime, the most crowded time. Alternatively, you can opt for the evening hours, from 5 p.m. onward, a time when the crowds of tourists leave the square to head elsewhere.
Spring and fall (April, May and September, October) are the best times to visit Prague. The spring and fall months attract fewer crowds but offer the possibility of sunny days and warm weather (remember to bring a jacket and umbrella just in case). April and May are especially beautiful as trees and flowers bloom.
The Old Town of Prague (Czech: Staré Město pražské, German: Prager Altstadt) is a medieval settlement in Prague, Czech Republic. It was separated from the outside by a semicircular moat and wall, connected to the Vltava River on both ends.
You can visit Prague Square for free, but if you want access to the Astronomical Clock, the full ticket costs 300 CZK and the reduced ticket 200 CZK. The family ticket, on the other hand, costs 650 CZK. If you want to admire the clock from a different perspective, I recommend buying a ticket to the Old Town Hall, from whose tower chapel you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the Astronomical Clock.
Visit Prague’s Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square
Take time to visit this magnificent 15th-century clock by skipping the line at the ticket office. Cancellation is possible up to 3 hours before the date of the visit.
