Malostranske Namesti (Lesser Town Square), lies at the heart of Mala Strana and has been the core of this side of Prague since the 10th century.
At the centre of the square is the magnificent St Nicholas Church, Mala Strana's primary landmark. Surrounding the square is a combination of shops, restaurants and a bunch of international embassies housed in the pleasant old buildings.
Malostranske Namesti also serves as the main tram stop for Mala Strana. From here you can go in one direction to Wenceslas Square and in the other to Hradcany, at the back of Prague Castle. Amongst the many impressive buildings around the square is the Old Town Hall, once a place of great importance. It was in this building that non-catholic nobles wrote the "Ceske Konfese" [Czech Confession], a demand for religious tolerance addressed to the Habsurg emperor and finally passed into Czech law in 1609.
Another interesting building to see is Smiricky Palace at No. 18. On 22 May 1618, Czech nobles gathered here and the day after threw two Habsburg councillors out of a window in Prague Castle, setting the starting point of the Thirty Year's War.
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