Houses and Palaces in the Square (Pt 2)

Houses and palaces of the Old Town Square (2)

The Prague audio-guided tour suggests turning your back to the Jan Hus Memorial to observe the juxtaposition of houses and palaces that line up before you. One of the most pleasant places in Prague offers, on this giant stage, a thousand details to contemplate.

A mosaic of façades

On either side, the buildings follow one another in an astonishing variety of styles and colours: Gothic gables, Renaissance façades adorned with sgraffito, baroque pediments and painted signs. Each house has crossed the centuries while transforming itself, keeping the trace of the fashions and the families that inhabited it. This architectural mosaic makes all the charm of the Old Town Square.

What there is to see

Examining the row of houses, you spot old signs, corner statues, sundials and pastel colours that echo one another. This harmonious juxtaposition, despite the tourist crowds, makes the square one of the most photographed urban settings in Europe. It is an invitation to sit for a moment and let the gaze wander over the façades.

Practical information

The houses and palaces border the Old Town Square, in the heart of Prague, around the Jan Hus Memorial. Their façades can be contemplated freely from the square, at all hours and on the level. The square, very busy, is one of the major meeting places of the city.

What characterises the façades of the square?

A great variety of styles and colours: Gothic gables, Renaissance sgraffito, baroque pediments and painted signs.

Why observe the houses of the square?

Because their harmonious juxtaposition, the fruit of several centuries of history, makes the square one of the finest urban settings in Europe.