Why is it called Wenceslas Square?

After Saint Wenceslas (Vaclav in Czech), the tenth-century Duke of Bohemia who was murdered by his brother and canonised as martyr and patron saint of the country. The patron's equestrian statue has presided over the square since 1912.

What happened in Wenceslas Square in 1968?

On 21 August 1968, Soviet tanks invaded Prague to crush the Prague Spring, Dubcek's reformist experiment. Wenceslas Square was the first rallying point for civilian resistance.

A 20-year-old university student who immolated himself in Wenceslas Square on 16 January 1969 in protest against the Soviet occupation and the resignation of Czech society. He died on 19 January. He is the most powerful symbol of twentieth-century Czech non-violent resistance.

What was the Velvet Revolution?

The peaceful transition from communism to democracy in Czechoslovakia in November-December 1989. It began with a suppressed student demonstration on 17 November and ended with the first non-communist government on 10 December. Without a single casualty. Wenceslas Square was the epicentre of the demonstrations.

Is Wenceslas Square actually a square or an avenue?

Technically a boulevard, 750 metres long and 60 metres wide. In practical terms, it functions as both a square and the central landmark of Prague's New Town. Wenceslas Square is the heart of Day 2 of the Prague itinerary. What to do in Prague in 2 days. The full history of Nazism and Communism in Prague: Nazism and Communism in Prague. Another New Town icon on the riverbank: the Dancing House.

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What to see in Wenceslas Square: history and visitor guide (2026)

Jan Palach, the Velvet Revolution and what to see on Prague's most historic boulevard

Ion López Bidaguren

Art historian and licensed tour guide with over 17 years in tourism. Former educator at the Guggenheim Bilbao, guiding in Prague for 10+ years in Spanish, English and Italian.

March 11, 2026 · 6 min read

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