Brimming with major landmarks and architectural treasures, as well as famous restaurants and cafes, these squares are the place where History meets the citys energy.
Historic, iconic, cosmopolitan, vast... Squares that have remained for centuries the heart of city life. Framed by buildings of unique architecture, great museums, as well as restaurants and cafes that buzz with life, they are favorite meeting points for locals and travelers. Lets look at 12 of the most beautiful and most historic squares around the world.
Grand Place, Brussels
Victor Hugo describes it as the most beautiful square in Europe. Since 1998, the Grand Place (or Grote Markt) has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the heart of the old town of Brussels, it is surrounded by impressive Baroque and Gothic buildings with dazzling gilded details. Museums, restaurants, cafes, and charming chocolate shops complete the scene. Its jewel is undeniably the Town Hall dating from the 15th century. Every two years in August, acolorful and utterly impressive carpet of begonias is unfurled across the square.
Plaza Mayor, Madrid
The historic Plaza Mayor, the most famous square inMadrid, was built in 1619. It has witnessed much: bullfights, executions, and trials by the Inquisition. Rectangular in shape, it is surrounded by striking buildings with 237 splendid balconies. At its center stands the statue of Philip III on horseback, while shops, tapas bars, and open-air cafes, always packed with people, complete the scene.
Plaza Mayor, Salamanca
The main square (Plaza Mayor) of Salamanca is one of the citys most striking sights and among the most beautiful squares in all of Spain. Built between 1729-1755, it once hosted bullfights. Today it enchants every visitor with its Baroque buildings, pedestrian walkways, and beautiful arcades. By day, locals and visitors enjoy their coffee in the sun, while at night, when the lights come on, the square "glows".
Old Town Square, Prague
Gorgeous Baroque-style buildings, a wealth of sights, cafes, and restaurants compose the setting in the vast Old Town Square, in the heart of Prague. Stand at its centerand take in the statue of Jan Hus, the Baroque Church of St. Nicholas, the Kinský Palace, and the Church of Our Lady before Tyn with its Gothic spires. The best-known landmark, however, is the masterful Astronomical Clock on the Gothic tower of the Old Town Hall, where tourists crowd to watch the show put on by the moving figurines every time the hour changes.
Main Market Square, Krakow
The first thing you should do upon arriving inKrakowis head to the beautiful main square, the Rynek Glowny, surrounded by well-preserved buildings of unique architecture. It is the largest medieval square in Europe, 200 m. long with a total area of 40.000 sq.m. This is where the citys heart beats with many restaurants, cafes, and shops, while throughout the year it hosts festivals, concerts, and markets. In the square you will see the 14th-century Town Hall Tower, St. Marys Church, and the Sukiennice, the medieval cloth hall that today houses numerous folk-art shops in the arcade with arches.
Piazza San Marco, Venice
The heart of Venice beats in the romantic, much-photographed St. Marks Square, which is framed by buildings of remarkable architecture. What dominates the scene and gives the square its name is the Basilica of St. Mark, a basilica-style church from the 15th century. Its nickname is Chieza d’ Oro (Golden Church) and it is famed for its impressive mosaics.
Piazza Navona, Rome
Built in the 15th century on the former Stadium of Emperor Domitian, Piazza Navona is one of the most famous and vibrant squares in Rome. Three Baroque fountains set the tone. At the center rises the famed Fountain of the Four Rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, 1651) by Bernini. At the northern end stands the Fountain of Neptune (Fontana del Nettuno) and at the southern, the Fountain of the Moor (Fontana del Moro) with a sculpture by Bernini.
St. Peters Square, Vatican
St. Peters Square lies directly in front of the imposing basilica of the same name, St. Peters Basilica in the Vatican. At its center stands an Egyptian obelisk of red granite 25,36 meters high, erected in its current position in 1586. Italian architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the square almost a hundred years later, along with the broad colonnades that flank it, made up of a total of 284 Tuscan-order columns.
Trafalgar Square, London
Trafalgar Square is one of the most central squares inLondonand one of the citys most famous sights. The monument that impresses here is Nelsons Column, honoring the victor of the Battle of Trafalgar, surrounded by the statues of four lions at its base. There are also several statues and sculptures around the square, with a spot called "the Plinth" taken up in rotation by contemporary art exhibits.
Red Square, Moscow
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990, Red Square is considered the central square of all Russia. Originally a market space, over the course of history it became the focus of two revolutions, many demonstrations, and even executions. Saint Basils Cathedral with its fairy-tale domes is the most famous landmark of Red Square. According to legend, Ivan the Terrible even blinded the cathedrals architect so he could never create anything similar again… At its southern end, near the Kremlin walls, stands Lenins Mausoleum.
Jemaa el-Fnaa, Morocco
In the heart of the Medina youll find the emblematic square ofMorocco, the vast Jemaa el-Fnaa. When night falls it is atmospherically lit and transforms into a chaotic carnival of entertainment and food, unlike anything else anywhere. Every day hundreds of locals and visitors meet here, in a curious microcosm of musicians, snake charmers, dancing monkeys, storytellers, fortune-tellers, belly dancers, and dozens of stalls offering everything from dried fruits to grilled fish, lamb heads, and snails.
Plaza de Armas, Cusco
The Square of Arms (Plaza de Armas) in Cusco is indisputably the most beautiful in Peru. Here you are in the heart of the legendary capital of the Inca Empire. Its central attraction is the Cathedral, built atop the Temple of the Sun. Paths winding among green gardens, restaurants, and shops for traditional purchases complete the scene.
