Prague- King´s road

King’s road
The name of the King’s road comes from the times, when the road was used by the kings of Bohemia at their coronation. It starts at the POWDER TOWER a monument in the Czech late Gothic style which was built during the reign of Vladislav Jagellonský at the end of the 15th century. It was rebuilt in the 18th century by Matyáš Rejsek.
Next to the Powder tower we can see the MUNICIPAL HOUSE. It is an example of the Art Deco style from the beginning of our century. In the 14th century it was the manor house of bohemian kings.
Passing through the Powder tower we enter the CELETNÁ STREET. In the 13th century the street was named after a special kind of bread which was baked there. There are a lot of houses in different styles. The most interesting one is the cubist House at the Black God’s Mother. Some houses are decorated by signs which were used instead of numbers.
The Celetná street leads to the OLD TOWN SQUARE. An old crossroad of trade roads and a market place which became a square in the 12th century. Above the arcades of the Latin school with gables in the Venetian Renaissance style, there is one of the dominants of the square – the spires of the TÝN CHURCH. It is a fine example of the Gothic style from the 14th century.
Another interesting architecture monument is the HOUSE AT THE STONE BELL. After the Baroque façade has been removed we can now see the original Gothic architecture from the 14th century. The biggest house in the square is the KINSKÝ PALACE built in the Rococo style. Our attention is also attracted by the Baroque Church of St. Nicholas built in the 18th century by Kilian Dienzenhofer.
But the most important building at the square is the OLD TOWN HALL dating back to the 14th century when Jan Lucemburský allowed Old Town burgesses to establish their own administration.
Behind the Old Town Square there is the Little Square with its Renaissance fountain.
Another interesting monument is the PALACE OF CLAM-GALLAS on the corner of the KARLOVA STREET. It leads pass the Clementinum towards Charles Bridge.
The Clementinum was a Jesuit collage founded in the 16th century. In the 17th century it became the seat of the Charles University and now it is used as national library.
Before entering Charles Bridge we cross the Little Square with two Baroque churches of St. Frances and St. Salvatore which is a part of the Clementinum.
Charles Bridge is guarded by three towers. The Old Town Tower is the oldest but the wall of the Lesser Town Towers comes from the 12th century when there was a wooden bridge.
Mostecká street leads to the LESSER TOWN SQUARE. There is the dominant of the Baroque church of St. Nicolas built by the father and son Dienzenhofers.
NERUDOVA STREET contains some of the fines Prague Baroque houses and palaces. It was named after Jan Neruda, a famous Czech writer and poet who lived in the 19th century in the House of Two Suns. The Nerudova street is the border between two parts of Prague, Hradčany and Lesser Town. Before we enter the Castle our sight is captured by the panoramic view of Prague.