New Town (Nové Město)
Prague 1

As a result of its construction, Prague became the third largest city in Europe in the 14th century.

The New Town covers a sizeable area. It wraps right around the Old Town, stretching down to the banks of the Vltava River at either end. Wenceslas Square lies at its heart, and is just 5 minutes walk from the Old Town Square.

The New Town boasts its fair share of grand squares and historical buildings, around which much of the modern development of the city has taken shape. The area is graced with more modern hotels and amenities than other parts of the city, and it has excellent metro, tram, bus and train connections.

The New Town is also the main area for shopping in Prague. The central shopping district runs all the way down Wenceslas Square, with its large department stores, along Na Příkopě street, which is full of International shops and shopping malls, and into Republic Square, which boasts the ultra-modern, multi-level Palladium, the largest shopping centre in the centre of the city.

There is plenty of entertainment and nightlife in the New Town too, in the form of pubs and bars, restaurants, clubs, opera houses, concert halls and theatres, as well as banks and currency exchange outlets.

History of the New Town: When the New Town was laid out in the 14th century, it was not envisaged as a mere add-on to the Old Town, it was to be the centre of the city of Prague:

Wenceslas Square was laid out as a horse market, Charles Square as a cattle market, and a hay market was set up at Senovážné Square (modern day Vodičkova and Jindřišská streets still interconnect these three squares).

To further cement the stature of the New Town, in 1380 King Wenceslas IV built the Royal Court Palace at the newly created Republic Square. It was built next to the Powder Gate Tower, one the original entrances to the Old Town.

King Wenceslas IV made the Royal Court Palace his main residence, and Bohemian Kings continued to live there for another one hundred years, before transferring to Prague Castle in 1484.

Great churches were also erected, and the New Town Hall was built at Charles Square.

All this development in a period of just fifty years! Residents of the overcrowded Old Town and places surrounding Prague flocked to the New Town to build houses and establish businesses.

Fast forward to 1911, and a magnificent Art Nouveau building, Municipal House, was built on the site of the old Royal Court, to form the new centre piece of Republic Square (Náměstí Republiky).

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