The main thoroughfare, the centre of both business and social life, in short the
"heart of Prague" that is Wenceslas
Square, 750m long and 60m wide. It was established by Charles IV in 1348 as a link between the New and Old Town fortifications.
However, the area soon primarily became a large New Town marketplace, and because regular horse auctions were held there, it earned the name Horse Market. As early as 1362 annual markets were held there, wirh fabrics, weapons, and up to 1877 grain being sold here. The lower end was taken up by New Town huts, and after they were pulled down in 1786 a wooden theatre, called the Shack (Bouda), grew in their place. Czech plays were staged here for three years, not a long period, but it was important to the process of national revival. The Shack was pulled down at the same time as the two gates, the Old Town Havel Gate and the New Town Horse Gate. The stone statue of St. Wenceslas by Bendl is no longer here, either, in 1879 it was moved to Vyšehrad. The square was paved as late as the end of the 18th century, but from the beginning Horse
Market had a completely rural character, after all, a typical wayside cross stood in the middle of the square. In 1848 the name was changed to Wenceslas Square (Václavské nárměstí) at the suggestion of Karel Havlíček Borovský. Sometime in 1875 it turned green with rows of lindens planted, but in 1184 these had to make way for horse-drawn carriages, taking passengers from Můstek to Nusle. In 1894 the first electric lamps were switched on, and the horse-drawn carriages were replaced by an electric tramcar. Today the tram line on ly crosses Wenceslas Square (through Vodičkova and Jindřišská Streets), a pedestrian precinct leads through a part of the middle section of the square. At both ends of Wenceslas Square there are underground stations (Muzeum at the upper end and Můstek at the lower). The whole area was disrupted with utterly insensitive construction of the so-called North-South motorway in 1967. The absurd project is unpararalleled in developed countries.
The most prominent feature of the upper end of the square, the National Museum, built between 1885-1890, was separated by a main thoroughfare, becoming a deserted island between two busy roads. Below the museum, across the motorway, we can see the remarkable statue of St. Wenceslas by Josef Wenceslas Myslbek, dating from 1913.
The square is lined with hotels, restaurants, c1ubs and shops. Besides the palaces, we will take note mainly of severa I other important architectural "gems". These include the Hotel Europe (Šroubek), an Art Nouveau structure from 1903 to 1905, which features a íacade with gilt nymphs at the top and its original preserved interior, including bars and huge mirrors. The Neo-Renaissance Wiehl House (Wiehlův dům) , dating from 1895-1896, has a facade decorated according to sketches by Mikoláš Aleš and Josef Fanta.
However, the area soon primarily became a large New Town marketplace, and because regular horse auctions were held there, it earned the name Horse Market. As early as 1362 annual markets were held there, wirh fabrics, weapons, and up to 1877 grain being sold here. The lower end was taken up by New Town huts, and after they were pulled down in 1786 a wooden theatre, called the Shack (Bouda), grew in their place. Czech plays were staged here for three years, not a long period, but it was important to the process of national revival. The Shack was pulled down at the same time as the two gates, the Old Town Havel Gate and the New Town Horse Gate. The stone statue of St. Wenceslas by Bendl is no longer here, either, in 1879 it was moved to Vyšehrad. The square was paved as late as the end of the 18th century, but from the beginning Horse
