Today was quite cold and rainy.  We stayed at the hotel for most of the day and didn't venture out until about 4:00.  It seems to clear off and didn't seem as windy.  We walked over to the Old Market Square which was built in 1253.  

This area was established as a market area and has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt over the years.

After 1945 this area became a residential area with shops on the ground floor selling souvenirs.  In the 1970's bars, cafes and restaurants opened. In the 1990's banks and more restaurants were located in the area.

Between 1880 and 1955 trams ran across the square.  Since 1970 the square has been closed to traffic.

We haven't seen the goats yet, but at 12:00 noon a small door opens in the tower above the clock and two mechanical goats butt one another 12 times.  The story is that during the preparation for a feast at the town hall the main course was over-cooked and burned.  The cook that burned the roasts grabbed two billy goats from the street and intended to cook them.  He was in such a hurry that they managed to run away as he was heading into the kitchen.  As the cook was explaining to his guests why there was not going to be a main course, the guests noticed the two billy goats butting heads below the clock.  The guests laughed and forgave the cook.