Old Town Hall & Astronomical Clock Castles, Palaces & Historic Buildings
Convergence Point for Tourists
Prague,
110 00
Czech Republic
+420 2 2448 2751
tourinfo@pis.cz
Transport Options:
Train Available: Staromestska (Line A)
Overview
This is the vortex of tourist activity in Prague, whether it be to catch a glimpse of the clock's elusive statuettes, check out one of the town hall's exhibitions or climb the tower. It was in 1338, during the reign of King John of Luxembourg (1310-1346), that work began on the building of a town hall. The oldest parts of this complex of buildings are the Gothic sections and the tower. In May 1945, the Nazis set fire to the building as their last act during the occupation, but most of the damage has been repaired. The clock originated from the beginning of the 15th Century and, every hour, the Twelve Apostles (added in 1490) move across just above the clock face, bowing to the crowd on the square. Finally, the clock strikes the hour.Open Hours
Mo from 11:00 AM to 05:00 PM, Tu to Su from 09:00 AM to 06:00 PM
This is a beautiful peice of architecture. and well worth seeing but don't bother hanging around waiting for the clock to chime the hour as it is not impresive at all, yet it always seems to pull the crowds.
I had planned to see the clock, but just turned a corner and there it was. It seemed smaller for all the attention it gets. My mom and I saw the apostles come out and the skeleton ring the bell for the hour. It was more exciting to see all the people gather around for it to ring. I recommend going to see it in the afternoon when there is a decent crowd and you can all experience it together.
People gather around thi clock every hour to see the wooden carved apostles come out of the clock to cute music. The clock is on th ehuge face of a wall in the square. It shows astrological signs, moon signs, time and something else. Fun to watch once. This is a good place to stop en route. LOTS of cafes and crystal shops right around here.
