Early Morning in the Old Town

It was a beautiful morning in Prague as I went to the local Starbucks for coffee, preferring it to the coffee served in my hotel. There were few tourists out and the shops were getting their early morning deliveries, preparing for the day ahead. The street sweepers were out cleaning up from the previous evenings revelry. My favorite time of day. The air was crisp, the light bright and shiny and a calmness everywhere.

Prague's Old Town Square (Staromestské námestí) dates from the 12th century and started life as the central marketplace, and over time Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic style buildings were erected around its center. Winding lanes lead from the square into other parts of the Old Town, with restaurants lining the edges of the square, served by the hotel behind them.