Lesser Town Square
Lesser Town, Prague 1

In the Middle Ages, the gallows and pillory were located here.

At the heart of the square, and dividing it in two, is the magnificent St. Nicholas Church, the Lesser Town’s foremost landmark.

In the upper half of the square, opposite the entrance to St. Nicholas, is the beautifully restored Liechtenstein Palace, which hosts a regular programme of classical concerts.

In the lower half is a major tram stop, from which passengers can travel in one direction to Prague Castle, and in the other across the Vltava River to the Old Town and Wenceslas Square.

Lining the Lesser Town Square, and extending into nearby streets, are numerous cafés, small shops, and quaint old pubs and restaurants. Many of these establishments were once Renaissance and Baroque style houses belonging to wealthy nobles living close to the centre of power at Prague Castle.

Among the historical buildings in the square is the original Lesser Town Hall at No.35. Built in 1470, it was plundered and destroyed by Swedish troops during the Thirty Years' War, then rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1630.

It was in the Lesser Town Hall in 1575 that the non-Catholic nobles wrote the “Ceske Konfese” (Czech Confession), a pioneering demand for religious tolerance addressed to the Habsburg emperor, which was eventually passed into law by Rudolf II in 1609. Today it is called Malostranská beseda.

Another building of note is Smiricky Palace at No.18, where Czech nobles famously gathered on 22 May 1618. The next day they threw two Habsburg councillors out of a window at Prague Castle, an act which set off the Thirty Year’s War.

The area surrounding the Lesser Town Square is the major embassy district in Prague; many embassies are housed in delightful Baroque buildings.

To explore the sights in Prague, take a Prague tour.