Christmas Tree at the Old Town Square
Christmas time in Old Town Square (Staromestske Namesti) is one of the seasonal highlights in Prague. The square is always magnificent, adorned with Christmas lights and décor, a giant tree, the main Christmas market, and the festive spirit, all dusted in white snow.
Christmas markets in Prague are well-known as being the best throughout Europe. The market is erected at the beginning of December and functions for the duration of the month. Here people celebrate the advent hroughout the month entire month.
At the market, one can spend hours walking through the maze of tiny huts
Selling small gifts and stocking stuffers; such as beautiful handmade crafts, jewelry, Christmas decorations, and wooden carvings are sold. The crisp weather is offset by drinking svarak, hot wine with lemon and cinnamon, and the Christmas magic is felt by all.
The extravagant Christmas scenery includes a grandiose nativity scene, depicting baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the Three Kings, complete with manger and wooden stable with straw floors. The gigantic Christmas tree is shipped every year from Sumava, a mountainous region in the South Czech Republic. The tree stands in the centre of the Old Town Square, surrounded by the market, adorned in radiant lights and massive ornaments.
Children and adults alike are entertained by the cluster of animals that are brought to the square centre, whether they be goats, sheep, or llamas. This dream-like quality of this marvelous winter fantasy is only further accentuated by its own soundtrack of Christmas carols. A stage is erected towards the edge of the market, up on which a variety of choirs and musical ensembles provide a musical score for the holiday market scene.
House at the Minute
House at the Minute (Dum U Minuty) stands where Old Town Square (Staromestske Namesti) meets Little Square (Male Namesti).
Just beside the Old Town Hall Tower, which is composed of a cluster of Gothic style buildings, including the Astronomical Clock, the House at the Minute was built in 1610 and has a facade decorated with Renaissance style frescoes, depicting classical myths and allegories. Franz Kafka’s family lived on the second floor of this building from 1889 to 1896. The building also housed a pharmacy between 1712 and 1850, and was once a tabaconist’s shop. Today the building is the home of Restaurace U Minuty, a touristic restaurant where one can enjoy specialties of Czech cuisine.
Cafe Marnice
Surrounded by the lush greenery of pistachio trees, the nut for which this café is famous, Cafe Marnice is located on the waters of Vltava River just under the Charles Bridge on Kampa Island. Café Marnice is an experience in itself, as pistachios often fall from the trees onto the café’s customers.
St. Nicholas Church
Towards Parizska Street on Old Town Square (Staromestske Namesti), stands the spectacular St. Nicholas Church (Kostel Sv. Mikulase) . Designed by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer and completed in 1735, this white stucco baroque building replaced an earlier parish church from 1273.
The interior design of St. Nicholas was inspired by the chapel of St.Louis-des-invalides in Paris. The frescoes are the work of Peter Adam the Elder, and the elegant stucco décor by Bernardo Spinetti. The nave holds one of largest paintings in existence depicting St. Nicholas in numerous poses.
Today, the St. Nicholas Church is a Czech Hussite house of worship, as well as a cultural shrine with respect to music. W. A. Mozart played the organ in this church, and today classical concerts are frequently held here.
Prague Inn Hotel
The oldest building in Wenceslas Square is the home of the Prague Inn Hotel. The building was erected in the second half of the 14th century. Frescoes by Czech painters ornament the building’s exterior. The front façade of the hotel faces southeast, overlooking Wenceslas Square in the direction of the National Museum. The opposite side of the building looks towards old town, allowing for magnificent views of Prague’s architectural beauty; clay-coloured rooftops, soaring towers, and golden spires fill the horizon.
in the second half of the 14th century. The house itself has been adorned ever since the 15th century with frescoes by famous Czech painters, and it offers unbelievable views of the spires and roofs of the historic core of the city.
