The Prague Astronomical Clock is located on the wall of the Town Hall in the Old Town square. This clock is like no clock you will have seen before and as such, there’s a steady stream of tourists lining up for photos in front of it whenever you visit. It dates back to medieval times and many parts of the clock move, but the highlight is on the hour, every hour when you will witness the procession of the twelve Apostles. The clock has been updated many times over the years since its installation in 1410 including the addition of the wooden figures in the 1600s.
The clock’s official name is the Orloj and it is composed of three main parts. First, the astronomical dial, which represents the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and also displays various astronomical details. Then, there is “The Walk of the Apostles” mentioned above, which is a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures. Finally, the lower dial is a calendar face with medallions representing the months. The oldest part of the clock is though to date back to the early 1400s. Seeing the clock will not take a long time, no more than 5 or 10 minutes really, but it is worth watching it on the hour if you can. There really can be a large number of people in front of it at busy times though.
The astronomical clock is featured in the Prague In One Day Sightseeing Tour which always gets great reviews.
LOCATION & CONTACT
Address: Astronomical Clock, Old Town Hall Tower, Old Town Square, Prague 1, Czech Republic
Tel: +420 724 508 584 (Tourist Information Centre)
Nearest Metro: Staromestska (Line A)
MORE ON PRAGUE’S ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK
Hotels near the Astronomical Clock – Great deals from Hotels.com
Astronomical Clock – Wikipedia
Prague In One Day Sightseeing Tour – Features the Astronomical Clock
Prague Guide Books – Amazon.co.uk