Famous city squares......

When you arrive in a new city, its often difficult to decide where to start your exploration of the city. One obvious choice is to look for the city's main square and head for it. If like us you enjoy a spot of people watching, that's an added benefit of starting in a city's central square. Here are some of our favourite city Squares/Plazas/Piazzas.....

Place Guillaume II Luxembourg
As the name indicates, the main square in Luxembourg City is dedicated to William (Guillaume) II of the Netherlands (1792 - 1849), Grand Duke of Luxembourg. The equestrian statue of the great man stands in this square. The hotel de villa, built in a traditional local style has overlooked Place Guillaume II since 1830.

Place Guillaume II

Piazza del Campo, Siena

Piazza del Campo is the principal public square of the historic center of Siena, Tuscany, Italy and is regarded as one of Europe's greatest medieval squares. It is known across the world for its beauty and architectural integrity. The Palazzo Pubblico and its Torre del Mangia, as well as various palazzi signorili surround the shell-shaped piazza. Twice a year the Palio di Siena horse race, is held around the edges of this stunning Piazza.

Piazza del Campo

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

The Plaza Mayor is Madrid's main square. It is located right in the centre of the city, just a few minutes walk from the Puerta del Sol. The square is mostly surrounded by three-story houses with balconies looking out onto the square and still lived in by the fortunate few. Located at the north end of the square resides the four-story Casa de la Panaderia building, supposedly named after the bakery it replaced. 

Plaza Mayor

Plaza de Armas, Santiago de Chile

The Plaza de Armas is the main square in Santiago. It is the centre piece of the initial layout of the city which has a square grid pattern. Surrounding the sqayre are a number of important buildings which include the Cathedral of Santiago, Central Post Office Building, Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago and the building that serves as the seat of the local government.

Plaza de Armas

La Grand- Place, Brussels

La Grand-Place in Brussels is a remarkably homogeneous body of public and private buildings, dating mainly from the late 17th century. The architecture provides a vivid illustration of the level of social and cultural life of the period in this important political and commercial centre.

La Grand-Place

Trafalgar Square, London

Trafalgar Square is home to Nelson's Column, those iconic stone lions, the famour Fourth Plinth and thousands of pigeons. Its also home to the fambulous and free of charge to enter National Gallery. During the Christmas period you'll also come across the biggest Christmas Tree in London, an annual gift from the city of Oslo.

Trafalgar Square

To see more about the cities or countries where these beautiful public places are located, simple click on one of the following links: Luxembourg, London,  Siena, Madrid, Santiago and Brussels.