Nové Město — the "New Town" — was founded by Charles IV in 1348, making it one of Europe's earliest planned urban extensions. Wenceslas Square forms its spine, running downhill from the National Museum to the Mustek metro junction. The name is misleading: this is old Prague by any normal standard, with layers of Romanesque cellars under Gothic churches under Art Nouveau facades.
The neighbourhood holds some of Prague's best Art Nouveau and Functionalist architecture in relative obscurity — the Municipal House on náměstí Republiky is the showpiece, but the apartment buildings along the side streets are worth a slower look. The Franciscan Garden, tucked behind Wenceslas Square and invisible from the street, is a remarkable pocket of quiet. Nové Město is also where most of Prague's theaters, the State Opera, and the National Theatre sit along the embankment.