Some 500,000 students and citizens gathered here in the heady days of November 1989 to protest the policies of the former Communist regime. The government capitulated after a week of demonstrations, without a shot fired or the loss of a single life, bringing to power the first democratic government in 40 years (under playwright-president Václav Havel). Today this peaceful transfer of power is half-ironically referred to as the "Velvet" or "Gentle" Revolution (nezná revoluce). It's fitting that the 1989 revolution took place on Wenceslas Square: throughout much of Czech history, the square has served as the focal point for popular discontent. The long "square" was first laid out by Charles IV in 1348 as a horse market at the center of the New Town.

At No. 25, the Hotel Europa (Vaclavske nám. 25) is an art nouveau gem, with elegant stained glass and mosaics in the café and restaurant. The terrace provides an excellent spot for people-watching. Note in particular the ornate sculpture work of two figures supporting a glass egg on top of the building and the exterior mural. In 1906 when the hotel opened, this was a place for the elite; now the dilapidated rooms reflect more a sense of sadly faded grandeur that thankfully hasn't extended to the public spaces.