Hradcany Square would more accurately be called Palace Square, since it is home to many beautiful palaces of different styles and eras. Once, the lands of Hradcany were set aside for the settlement of servants, but gradually this district grew into a separate independent town, which is now a historic part of Prague.
Tourists are drawn to Hradcany Square not only by the beautiful views, but also by an exciting spectacle – the changing of the honorary guard at the entrance to the President's residence. It takes place here every hour, and exactly at noon musical accompaniment is added as well.
The most notable attraction of Hradcany Square is the Marian Column, or, as it is also called, the Plague Column. This monument was erected here, as in many other cities of Central Europe, in honor of deliverance from the plague. At the beginning of the 18th century, this disease claimed thousands of lives. In 1713-14, mass prayers addressed to the Virgin Mary, whose statue now crowns the Plague Column, were held on the very spot where the column now stands.
You can also see a monument to the first president of Czechoslovakia, Tomas Masaryk, on Hradcany Square. This monument is perhaps the youngest on the square; it was installed in 2000. Not far from it there is a road leading to an observation deck, from which a stunning view of Prague opens up.
