Day one in Prague explored lesser town and Prague Castle on the west side of the Vltava , and on our second day in Prague we will be exploring the east side of the Vltava river Old Town Prague and New Town Prague.
Highlights today include the Astronomical Clock, Municipal House, the Jubilee Synagogue, Na Prikope Street, Kinsky Palace and Powder Tower.
First, start the day in OLD TOWN SQUARE, as this is the heart of old town Prague and begun as the towns marketplace in the 10th century.
Beautiful buildings surround the square, the two oldest being OLD TOWN HALL (1338) and CHURCH OF OUR LADY BEFORE TYN (1365).
Other impressive buildings on the square are the pink and white KINSKY PALACE, the early gothic HOUSE OF THE STONE BELL which was likely built for the Royal Family and so had an exterior that rivalled the most beautiful in Europe at the time, and STORCH HOUSE with a painting of Saint Wenceslas on horseback adorning the façade.
A crowd favourite is the ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK. Each hour, on the hour, tourists gather to see the procession of Apostles pop out of the top of the clock.
In the middle of the square is the JAN HUS MONUMENT, he was a Protestant reformer who was burnt at the stake as a heretic in 1415
Around 500 metres to the EAST of Old Town Square is REPUBLIC SQUARE (Namesti Republiky).
Here you will find one of the original city gates, POWDER TOWER, which has a viewing platform atop 186 steps, and MUNICIPAL HOUSE an impressive Art Nouveau building that will impress in the inside as much as the outside, and it's worth stopping for a refreshment at the café inside.
Also on Republic Square you will find the Palladium shopping mall (170 stores + 30 restaurants), Kovta department store (7 levels) and Czech National Bank.
From the square NA PRIKOPE STREET, which is the most expensive street in Prague, connects you to WENCESLAS SQUARE.
NA PRIKOPE STREET sits on the site of a former 10 metre wide and 8 metre deep moat from 1234, which took water from the Vlatava river and enclosed Old Town, making it an island.
Because it was such a wide street Na Prikope became a main artery in the city and quite congested, until 1985 when it became a pedestrian zone, and an excellent place to promenade.
Located in east of the Old Town and near the train station, is the JUBILEE SYNAGOGUE, also known as the Jerusalem Synagogue after the street it is on, this building is a stunning example of the Moorish Revival style (Art Nouveau and Moorish mix)