CHURCH MUSIC INSTRUMENTS

Saxophonist at the Old Town Square, Prague, Czech Republic

Some background information:

The Old Town Square is the central square in the Old Town quarter of Prague, which occupies more than 9.000 square metres. Located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge, it’s often bursting at the seams with tourists. Featuring various architectural styles including the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Tyn and the baroque St. Nicholas Church, the square is an oasis for travelers wearied by Prague's narrow streets. The Astronomical Clock can also be found on this square, while the tower at the Old Town Hall offers a great panoramic view.

Not only a popular meeting place, Old Town Square sees its share of celebrations (New Year's), holiday markets (Christmas and Easter), and protests. On occasion, ice-hockey and football games are shown on huge screens, drawing large crowds of fans.

In the background you can see the Church of Our Lady before Tyn as well as the Jan Hus Memorial.

The Church of Our Lady before Tyn was built in 1365 on the site of an earlier Romanesque church. Its magnificent multiple steeples are 80m high and dominate the square. Between the early 15th century and the year of 1620 it was the main Hussite church in Prague.

The Jan Hus Memorial depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus as well as a young mother which symbolizes national rebirth. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus’ martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Saloun and paid for solely by public donations.

Prague itself is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. It’s also known as the "City of a Hundred Spires" as well as the "Golden City". It’s home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 1.9 million.

Situated on the Vltava River in central Bohemia, Prague has been the political, cultural and economic centre of the Czech state for more than 1.100 years. For many decades during the Gothic and Renaissance eras Prague was the permanent seat of two Holy Roman Emperors and thus was also the capital of the Holy Roman Empire.

Since 1992 the extensive historic centre of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, making the city one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, which receives more than 4.1 million international visitors annually, as of 2009.

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