Hip to be square
Good city squares, whether a showcase of architecture or just a place to relax, will draw locals and visitors alike, writes Brian Johnston.
The best squares are places to remember. In Jackson Square in New Orleans, you can sit in sunshine and munch sugar doughnuts, accompanied by cream-loaded chicory coffee.
In Plaza de Armas in Cuzco in Peru, you can buy pompom hats from Quechua women in bright shawls and brown homburgs, accompanied by alpacas bedecked in pink ribbons. Places des Vosges is so beautiful you could make a point of visiting every time you’re in Paris, either to lounge with students on the grass, or nibble macaroons in an arcade cafe.
For some cities, main squares are a showcase of architecture. Grand Place in Brussels bags a World Heritage listing for its stunning 600-year ensemble of architecture. For others, they’re public living rooms. Locals descend on Plaza de la Constitucion in Oaxaca in southern Mexico for their evening stroll, to watch their kids play, to chew ears of corn and have their shoes polished. Sequin-encrusted musicians shake their maracas and twang guitars as cafe diners eat.
Such liveliness isn’t confined to Latin cultures, though. In Krakow in Poland, Rynek Glowny – one of Europe’s largest squares – is lively with flower sellers, street performers, cafe-goers and public events. This is what a good square should be: a hub of urban life, where locals arrange to meet, drink and shop.
Locals and visitors alike gravitate towards good squares like salmon to their spawning grounds. For the best of plazas and piazzas, here are some cities that have captured their spirit of place in iconic urban squares.
Iran Imam Square, Esfahan
The lowdown: Shah Abbas the Great knocked up his new capital in the 17th century, this was his greatest creation. Once the heart of the Safavid empire, it remains the bustling epicentre of Esfahan, surrounded by its most glamorous buildings and venerable bazaar. Climb to the top of Ali Qapu Palace for a terrific view over the dazzling architectural ensemble.
When to visit: Evening, when locals come here to stroll, gossip, lick ziggurats of icecream, admire the dancing fountains and clipclop about in horse-drawn carriages. Don’t miss: Elegant Imam Mosque, covered in sumptuous pale blue and yellow tiles, is one of Islam’s architectural masterpieces, but Sheikh Lotfallah Mosque is more intimate and tranquil, and glows deep blue. More information: iraniantourism.com
Spain Plaza De Oriente, Madrid
The lowdown: Pretty girls parade under the equestrian statue of a baton-waving monarch, petunias pop from flowerbeds in pink and purple, and the royal palace looms. This is one of Madrid’s most beautiful plazas, bang in the centre of its grandest district. Linger on a bench in the landscaped gardens at its centre and admire the statues that lurk in the shrubbery.
When to visit: Madrid’s sociable wandering and cafe-hopping reaches a chirpy crescendo around midnight, especially in summer, when the heat dissolves and drinks clink with ice cubes.
Don’t miss: The royal palace (patrimonionacional.es) is a monument to Bourbon baroque and rococo, loaded with looted gold from the Americas. Adjacent Almudena Cathedral (catedraldelaalmudena.es) is an unconvincing hybrid of 19thcentury styles. More information: esmadrid.com
Indonesia Taman Fatahillah, Jakarta
The lowdown: This square is surrounded by the city’s bestpreserved historic monuments and several museums. Cobbled footpaths and whitewashed, gabled buildings evoke old Amsterdam. A fountain dances, birds chirp in cages, old buildings peel and locals sit astride an old cannon, considered a fertility symbol. Buskers always amuse.
When to visit: Afternoon, when you can escape the humidity and flop gratefully in the colonial Cafe Batavia (cafebatavia.com), with its potted palms, black-and-white photos and scratchy gramophonestyle music.
Don’t miss: The former Dutch governor-general’s palace stands with green shutters folded back, and is full of heavy Dutch furniture and the rather dour portraits of former inhabitants. The Museum of Fine Arts has good ceramics and handicrafts. More information: jakartatourism.go.id
United States Rockefeller Centre, New York
The lowdown: The Rockefeller Centre, a collection of 19 buildings that encapsulates the verve and vigour of 1930s New York, is one of the pulsating hearts of the city that never sleeps, especially for visitors. It features great shops and eateries, its central space has superb Art Deco design, and 200 flagpoles add a festive jauntiness.
When to visit: Winter, when the sunken square transforms into an ice rink overlooked by trumpetblowing golden angels and Christmas trees; take a spin and feel as if you’re in a Hollywood movie. Don’t miss: See a performance at Radio City Music Hall (radiocity.com), which has a spectacular Christmas show, and
ascend Top of the Rock for fabulous Manhattan views. More information: rockefellercenter.com Morocco Jemaa El Fna, Marrakesh The lowdown: Marrakesh’s entire old town is the place to plunder markets, sip on mint tea and snack on sizzling shawarma but, as dusk falls, all the activity centres on this fabulous square, creating a stickybeaker’s delight as you sip fresh-pressed orange juice and munch nuts from the stalls.
When to visit: In the evening, as fortune-tellers unfold their cards, African drummers whip up their rhythms and monkeys juggle. Locals and tourists alike wander about and tuck into street food.
Don’t miss: The square has no notable buildings – it’s humanity that provides the spectacle – although the 11th-century Koutoubia Mosque with its 70-metre minaret is just down the road. A warren of shop-packed streets lies tangled all about. More information: marrakech.travel
Argentina Plaza De Mayo, Buenos Aires
The lowdown: Created by the Spanish in 1580, history-packed Plaza de Mayo retains the city’s few colonial buildings and is overlooked by the pink presidential palace, from whose balcony Eva Peron (aka Evita) gave speeches. Old men sit on benches smoking cigarillos, boys splash in the fountains, and activists frequently gather to chant and blow protest whistles.
When to visit: Mid-afternoon on Thursdays, mothers whose children disappeared under the dictatorship stand vigil under the palm trees, adding a sombre note to the cheerful square.
Don’t miss: The Cabildo provides a colonial museum whose windows have fine plaza views. The Metropolitan Cathedral houses the tomb of independence leader General Jose de San Martin. More information: turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar
Germany Marienplatz, Munich The lowdown: Squares aren’t often places for winter lingering, but Marienplatz, little more than a busy thoroughfare, comes into its own in December, when its wonderful Christmas market, running since the 1640s, makes this the most magical square in the land. Christmas trees glitter, little chalets sell gingerbread and hot chestnuts, and bonhomie blossoms.
When to visit: The market runs daily from 10am to 9pm (8pm Sundays) between late November and Christmas Eve, and is atmospheric after dark, when lights twinkle.
Don’t miss: The highly ornamental, neo-Gothic New Town Hall features a tower-top observation deck and glockenspiel on its facade where figures twirl at 11am and noon. In December, bands tootle and choirs warble from its balcony. More information: muenchen.de