Luckily, a buddy who'd lived there for a few years set her straight, insisting that the first stop on anyone's journey into the “City of 1,000 Spires” must be Old Town Square. And even though she hit the streets late – almost midnight – it wasn't a problem at all. Alive and vibrant, there are plenty of things to do and places to explore well into the wee hours of the morning in Prague. So with the clock ticking, she headed straight for Old Town Square, located – rather obviously – in the center of Old Town.

Winding around narrow cobblestone streets lined with brightly colored buildings, she and her Super Pal made their way through the city – following the flow of the late night crowd (and their trusty map) and suddenly found themselves in the middle of a large square with hundreds of years of history and beauty surrounding them.

There are several churches surrounding the square, from seemingly every architectural period (Gothic, Romanesque, Baroque). Elaborate market stands with gifts, goodies and local food favorites fill the center around the holidays – true to the square's history; it began as a market place in the 12^th century. Sitting at a table at one of the many cafés lining the square, Girlawhirl sat back and waited for the true star of the show: The Astronomical Clock.

Located on the side of Old Town Hall, the Astronomical Clock, dating back to 1410, is by far the biggest attention getter in this tourist hotspot. Every hour the clock literally comes alive with moving figures. Statues of the Apostles parade out while a skeleton rings the bell telling the hour. It also shows the positions of the sun, the moon and the zodiac signs, and most certainly is a sight to behold.

Enchanted by the square at night, a return visit during daylight hours was definitely in order, where, while eating ice cream from a nearby stand, they stopped into the Old Town Hall – the city's main tourist information center – to get ideas on where to explore next.