The Old Town of Prague

 It used to be an old trading centre on the crossroad of two important trade routes. During the reign of Charles IV. Prague became, for the first time in its history, the capital of the Holy Roman Empire and one of the most important cities of Europe.  Its centre was always the Old Town Square with the Town Hall and the Astronomical Clock.  The Old Town Square is one of the oldest squares on the bank side of the Vltava River. A settlement started to develop around it. The next floors built above it were built in Gothic style. Thus the majority of today’s facades are in the Baroque style with some facades ranging in style from the Romanesque to Art Nouveau.