How to beat the crowds at the tourist-centric Old Town Square in Prague? Get there before the tour groups do.

This was a Sunday morning and the clock tower tells me I shot this photo shortly before 10 a.m. It was nice to enjoy the square in this condition and to take in all the history crowded around this spot.

Visitors aren’t exactly alone here at this hour but there’s enough space to keep people from feeling too claustrophobic. Wandering through the city’s old quarter first thing in the morning means you can occasionally get a bit of street to yourself, if only for a moment. Knowing how busy this part of Prague can get, even fleeting solitude is a treat worth the mental effort required to wake early.

Below, a closer view of the astronomical clock at the town hall.