Prague Astronomical Clock Tours

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The hourly show put on by this early 15th-century masterpiece on the Old Town Hall is a must-see event that draws the crowds.

Mounted on the southern wall of the Old Town City Hall is one of the oldest working astronomical clocks in the world: Pražský Orloj, the Astronomical Clock. Established in 1410, it has often stopped working and its mechanism has been repaired many times. Luckily it was spared from destruction and has even been upgraded with symbolic figures, so it is still ticking away the minutes today. Better still, it now comes to life every hour!Make your way to the Old Town Square in time for the famous clock ceremony. Every hour, small doors open and animated figures appear and sculptures begin to move on the clock. Death, holding its hourglass, seems eager for the change of the hour. The other three sculptures represent vanity, greed and pleasure. The 12 wooden figures represent the apostles. When the golden cockerel moves its wings, a bell chimes the hour. Find a café with a good view of the clock and sit back with a drink to watch the spectacle. Observe that the astronomical dial is the oldest part and underneath it is the calendar dial. In addition to keeping the time these dials display a range of details. See the position of the sun and the moon, or the intricate medallions that depict each month below it. You can even see what the current star sign is on the zodiacal ring.Climb to the top of the clock’s tower, within the Old Town Hall, to experience one of the best views in Prague. Look across the Old Town and the Vltava River to the Prague Castle upon its hill.Visiting the Astronomical Clock is free of charge, however, there is a small fee to climb the tower. Due to the large crowds that form for the hourly ceremonies it is recommended you visit the clock early in the morning. The Astronomical Clock is located in the Old Town Square and can be reached by both tram and metro.

Plan a trip to see Prague Astronomical Clock

BoHo Prague Hotel
Pytloun Boutique Hotel Prague
TurnKey | Angelo Roma Apartments
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Reviews of Prague Astronomical Clock

4.5
Top Destination
5 - Excellent
1028
" "5 - Excellent 60.29325513196481%
4 - Good
486
" "4 - Good 28.50439882697947%
3 - Okay
149
" "3 - Okay 8.739002932551319%
2 - Disappointing
33
" "2 - Disappointing 1.935483870967742%
1 - Terrible
9
" "1 - Terrible 0.5278592375366569%

3/5 - Okay

Verified traveler
Dec 1, 2019

Not much to see. Not worth the sardine experience, unless you like sardine experiences.

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler
Oct 2, 2019

Very crowded especially around top of the hour. But a must see regardless

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler
Sep 26, 2019

If you go at night you can pay to climb the tower for an amazing view of the old city. However, be aware that during the evening hours you won't be able to see the part of the tower where the inner workings of the clock are visible. Try to arrive on the hour to see the anamatronics.

3/5 - Okay

Verified traveler
Aug 27, 2019

Beautiful clock but your experience is ruined by the crowds with selfie sticks.

3/5 - Okay

Verified traveler
Aug 19, 2019

The clock is nice from the outside, but if you go inside, you can't see the mechanism. I am a clock fan and I would have liked an explanation about how to read the clock.

2/5 - Disappointing

Verified traveler
Aug 13, 2019

Hundreds would gather each hour to watch the clock and it didn’t work, only chimed

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