Old Town Square

Old Town square, Staromestsk��st�hums with activity. In summer, cafes spill out onto the street. In winter the Christmas market draws a crowd. Brightly coloured houses ring the square. Cobbled streets lined with shops fan out in all directions. The pink and white Rococo stucco work of Kinsky Palace dazzles in the afternoon sun. In 1948, Klement Gottwald proclaimed communist rule from the first floor balcony. The palace is now part of the national gallery and exhibits Czech art from the seventeenth to twentieth century. The eye catcher of the square is Tyn Church with two irregular towers flanked by a forest of spires and pinnacle. The most popular attraction is the Old Town Hall Tower and the astronomical clock. Join the crowd waiting for the spectacle. Marvel at Death ringing a bell and a procession of apostles popping out of a hatch. The monument in the middle of Old Town Square commemorates reformer Jan Hus and is a fine example of an Art Nouveau sculpture.