Visit Prague’s Wenceslas Square

One of the largest and busiest squares in Prague is Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí). It is over 700 metres long, has a wide green central island and looks more like a boulevard.

Prague’s Wenceslas Square was named after St Wenceslas of Bohemia. It is located in the centre of Prague’s New Town, not far from Prague’s main railway station.

A horse market for Prague

King Charles IV decided to establish a new market when he founded Prague’s New Town in 1348. The horse trade for the entire region was to take place here and so the square was given the name Horse Market (Czech: Koňský trh). It was around 680 metres long (today it is 750 metres long) and 60 metres wide. A small stream ran through the market so that, for example, there were enough water troughs for the horses and the area could be cleaned well at the end of the day. The fact that the market was very long meant that the sellers could show the horses to interested parties at any gait.

In addition to the horse trade, various agricultural products were also sold and later, in the lower part, saddle and belt goods, fabrics and spices. The organisation of the markets ended here in 1877.

The market square also served as a place for public executions, with a gallows in both the lower and upper parts of the square.

Right-angled streets led off the square, providing connections to other markets in the new town.

Wenceslas Square is being built

In the 19th century, Prague’s city walls were torn down and the transformation into today’s square began. In 1848, the square was renamed Wenceslas Square. The renaming took place in the course of the National Revival in Bohemia, during a time of growing national consciousness and political upheaval in Europe.

Initially, the ditches were filled in, green spaces and flower beds were laid out and trees were planted along the roadside (1876). In 1884, the first horse-drawn tram was put into operation. The tram line ran from the Můstek stop via Wenceslas Square to the Nuselské schody stop. The first electric tram ran from 1900 on the track that had been laid next to the pavements. The last tram to pass Wenceslas Square was night tram no. 22 on 13 December 1980.

The imposing National Museum building was constructed at the upper end of the square in 1890.

The square’s peripheral buildings, which have largely been preserved to this day, were also gradually built. The beautiful civic palaces and commercial buildings that adorn the square today, which have been lavishly renovated, are among the most beautiful buildings in Prague. I find the mixture of architectural styles, from neo-renaissance and neo-baroque façades to modern buildings, very exciting.

Wenceslas Square was the scene of many important historical events, such as the proclamation of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, major demonstrations during the Velvet Revolution in 1989, which led to the fall of the communist regime, and other important political and social events.

Today, Wenceslas Square is one of the main tourist attractions in Prague. Numerous cafés, department stores, retail outlets, restaurants and discos dominate the streetscape.

The monument on Wenceslas Square

The Wenceslas Monument was erected in 1912. An impressive and large monument that is now the meeting point in the city. It was designed and created by the Czech sculptor Josef Václav Myslbek. It is one of his most famous works and is considered a masterpiece of Czech sculpture. The monument is mainly made of bronze.

St Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia, is depicted riding a horse. Saint Wenceslas is wearing medieval armour, which emphasises his role as a prince and warrior. Four other statues depicting Bohemian patron saints are grouped around the central equestrian statue: St Ludmilla, St Agnes of Bohemia, St Procopius and St Adalbert of Prague.

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