Masaryk Square is a square in the center of Tel Aviv, located near Rabin Square. The square is named after Tomasz Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia who is considered a friend of the Jewish people and the Jewish community, and even visited young Tel Aviv in the 1920s. It is one of the oldest squares in Tel Aviv and was built with the establishment of the old north part of the city.
The square is built as a 100-meter-long boulevard with a character very similar to other boulevards in Tel Aviv, such as Sderot Chen or Ben-Gurion Boulevard adjacent to it. South of the square, the road continues as King George Street.
In the center of the square, there is a public garden, and around it is many businesses and cafes. The square is considered one of the most important squares of the white city of Tel Aviv, and around it are built several residential buildings in the international style.
In the north of the square stands a sculpture by the artist Moti Mizrahi, “Column, Screw and Ducks”, which was placed in 1989 following the contribution of the Jewish-American businessman, Meshulam Riklis. In 2001, the first coffee shop of the “Cafe Cafe” chain opened in the square. On September 17, 2009, the duck statue of the painter Dudu Geva was placed in the northern part of the square, next to the fountain.
This cute yellow duck was one of the most famous characters in Israel. It was created by the artist Dudu Geva, who used to publish a daily cartoon starring The Duck in a popular newspaper during the 80s. The simple cartoon described the Israeli atmosphere and reality in a humorist way, and even today it’s remembered as an Israeli icon. The statue in Masaryk Square was placed in 2009, 4 years after the artist’s surprising death by a heart attack, to honor his work. Underneath it says: “Always optimistic”.
The area around it is simply beautiful: surrounded with greenery, with a playground where you can always see children play, people walking their dogs and nice quiet benches to sit on and read a book. Around the square, there are a few stores of young Israeli fashion designers – pretty expensive but always nice for some window shopping – and very nice cafes and bars. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful and “intimate” squares in Tel Aviv, so if you need some time for relaxation before you continue hopping to the next attraction of the city, stop by Masaryk Square and say hello to the duck.
