Astronomical Clock
Six centuries of mechanism that walks the apostles past on every hour.
Duration
15 min – 45 min
Best time
On the hour, in the evening
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
The mechanism dates from 1410, making it the oldest astronomical clock still running. The upper dial does not give the time in the ordinary sense: it shows the position of the Sun and Moon in the zodiac, and Babylonian hours, which divide daylight into twelve unequal parts by season.
On every hour the twelve apostles file past the two windows and a skeleton turns an hourglass. The show lasts forty-five seconds, and the crowd gathers ten minutes ahead for it.
Getting there
On the south face of the town hall, Old Town Square. Metro line A, Staroměstská station, five minutes on foot.
Rules on site
The parade lasts under a minute and disappoints anyone expecting more: the mechanism and the dial are worth more than the show. The square on the hour is the city's prime pickpocket ground.
Other places in Prague
Charles BridgeSixteen Gothic arches, thirty baroque statues, and the Vltava underneath since 1357.
Prague CastleThe largest castle complex in the world, with St Vitus Cathedral inside it.
Josefov, the Jewish quarterSix synagogues and a cemetery where twelve thousand stones overlap across twelve layers.
Petřín HillA miniature Eiffel Tower on top of a wooded hill, with all of Prague below.