The delights of the Prague cheap hotels make this city a very popular place indeed.

How popular can be seen around mid-day when you are fighting the swarms of people listening to the trumpet player on top of the clock tower on the hour.

The reputation Prague has for being a popular venue for stag and hen parties is true. And you do see groups of young men and women around town. But very seldom is any trouble caused. They are mostly just having a good time. There is also a good police presence.

Prague can be broken down into three main areas – the castle, the old town and the new town. Each deserves an article of its own. The city is easy to walk around so getting to each is not a problem. If you are staying outside the main tourist are then the tram system will be brilliant for you.

The city is really a wonderful open-air museum, which is best explored on foot with a good Prague travel guide.

Here I am going to share some thoughts on Prague Old Town and its square.

The Old Town is dominated by the square, which has a history going back to the late 12th century. It has always been the central market place for the city and is dominated by The Church of Our Lady of Týn and the Town Hall.

The square is bordered with pastel-coloured buildings of Romanesque or Gothic origin that are adorned with quaint signs.

In the square you will find the popular tourist attraction of the Astronomical Clock that dates from fourteen hundred and ten. Here you can see figures of the twelve apostles who appear every hour on the hour from 9am to 9pm in two side doors on the wall of the clock tower. A skeleton rings a bell, the clock chimes, a live trumpet sounds a call and thousands of people witness this every single day. It all ends every hour with the tourist clapping the whole proceedure. You must see it and join in the clapping.

You can also go up the clock tower to get super views over the square and medieval Prague over the river and up to the castle and Saint Vitus Cathedral. The climb up the steps helps work off any over eating or drinking you might have done and there are lifts for any who find the steps a bit too much. If you go up the clock tower on the hour you will get a close-up of the trumpeter. You will also be able to look down on the huge crowds all clapping the clock.

The centrepiece of the square is the Jan Hus statue, which was erected on 6 July 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of the reformer’s death. Born in 1371 A.D and burned at the stake on 6 July 1415 he was the founder of what is now the Moravian Church.

I like the fact that all the squares and small streets around the square are still cobbled and in spite of the crowds Prague has maintained its character. You can just meander around and see everything within a short distance from the old town square. It is a great city for short breaks travel.

Small cobbled alleyways lead you up to the famous Wenceslas Square and the National Museum. It is also in this area that the daily market now is.

In most of the churches around the old town square concerts are performed almost every night and they last just about an hour. After your concert you could eat in one of the many restaurants around the square or in the smaller squares of the main one.

If you want to save a bit of cash whenever possible eat or have coffees away from main old town square. This goes for buying your drinking water too. Water from a small shop in the alleyways can be a third cheaper than on the square.

Prague is very busy and quite expensive but most capital cities are.

I would recommend a visit.