Wenceslas Square

More boulevard than square, it runs for about 750 metres. Charles IV laid it out in 1348, when he founded the New Town, as a horse market. In the 19th century it took the name of Bohemia's patron saint and filled up with hotels, banks and department stores. But it earned its real fame in the 20th century.

1The horseman saint

The statue is the work of Josef Václav Myslbek, who spent more than thirty years on it. The rider was unveiled in 1913, and the last figure, St Adalbert, only arrived in 1925. The pedestal carries a plea: «St Wenceslas, duke of the Czech land, our prince, do not let us perish, nor those who come after us».

2The 20th century, in the front row

On 28 October 1918, crowds celebrated the birth of Czechoslovakia here. In August 1968 Warsaw Pact tanks rolled in to crush the Prague Spring. On 16 January 1969, the student Jan Palach set himself on fire near this statue in protest at the occupation; he died three days later. The regime even planted hedges to stop people leaving flowers. And in November 1989, hundreds of thousands filled the square during the Velvet Revolution; Václav Havel and Alexander Dubček appeared on the balcony of the Melantrich building at number 36.

3What to look for

• The four saints around the rider: Ludmila, Procopius, Agnes and Adalbert.
• The bronze cross in the pavement in front of the museum, in memory of Jan Palach and Jan Zajíc.
• The Melantrich balcony, further down the square on your right.