Wenceslas Square

Vaclavske namesti is not a square but a boulevard, seven hundred and fifty metres long and sixty wide, laid out in 1348 as the horse market of Charles IV's New Town and rebuilt through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries into a street of eclectic, Art Nouveau and functionalist facades - the Hotel Europa of 1905 and the Lucerna and Koruna palaces among them. At the top stands the National Museum of 1891 and Myslbek's equestrian statue of St Wenceslas of 1912. It is the traditional setting for large public gatherings, celebrations and the Christmas market, and memorials stand at the foot of the statue. Commercially it is now a mixed street with chain shops, exchange booths and tourist traps at the lower end.

History

When Charles IV founded the New Town of Prague in 1348, its plan included several market places, of which the Horse Market was the second largest after Charles Square, with the Horse Gate in the town walls at its southeastern end. In 1848, on the proposal of Karel Havlíček Borovský, it was renamed Saint Wenceslas Square; the old statue of the saint, which stood in the middle near the Grand Hotel Evropa, was moved to Vyšehrad in 1879, and the new statue was put up in 1912. The square is the busiest pedestrian place in the country and a traditional setting for public gatherings and celebrations, with Christmas markets held every year from early December. A reconstruction began in 2020, the lower part was completed in 2023, and full completion is planned for 2027 (Wikipedia, Wenceslas Square).

Highlights

• A 750-metre boulevard - laid out as a horse market in 1348, not a square.
• Facades from three eras - eclectic, Art Nouveau and functionalist along both sides.
• The Wenceslas statue - Myslbek's equestrian figure of 1912 at the top.
• Memorials at the statue - set at the foot of Myslbek's figure.

When to go

All year. Half a day.

Things to know

The lower end is heavily commercial with exchange booths and tourist traps - avoid changing money on the street. Pickpockets work the crowds. The square is a thoroughfare rather than a place to linger.

Nearby

The old town square and Municipal House are a short walk north.

Key facts