In the 13th century, the Emperor conferred an independence charter to the Old Town, a district of merchants and of rich aristocrats. It remained a self-governing jurisdiction until 1784, when the four historic towns (Hradčany, Malá Strana, Old Town and New Town) were united to become a single entity.
In the 14th century, the community decided to build a town hall to serve as the seat of the independent municipal council. Because of a lack of money, the council first set its headquarters in a small building on the square (the “House of Volfin”, where you will now find the Prague information center), which became bigger by the gradual purchase of adjoining houses throughout centuries, the building of a big tower, of a chapel and finally of the “eastern wing”. The latter was unfortunately almost entirely destroyed during bombings in 1945: the only remaining part is a piece of wall with neo-Gothic windows.
The Old city hall is mainly renowned for its astronomical clock, which attracts crowds of tourists who want to admire the hourly parade of painted wooden statues: the apostles, Christ, the allegories of Death and of Vanity, the archangel Michael… The clock was built in the 15th century and presents with two faces: the upper one indicates the time as well as the position of the sun, the moon and the planets. The second one shows a calendar with illustrations of the months of the year and the corresponding zodiac signs.
You can also visit the interior of the Old Town Hall: first you will climb to the top of the 70m tower (230ft.) which offers a wonderful view of Prague’s historic center. You will then discover the hearing halls, the staterooms and the chapel that protects the gear of the astronomical clock. Finally, a trip to the basement will take you through a breathtaking journey back in time: there you will discover a labyrinth of streets, shops and residences, remains of the Romanesque and Gothic eras in Prague...
Old Town Hall in the Old Town - Staroměstská radnice
Staroměstské náměstí 1/3 (Old Town Square)
Prague 1
www.pis.cz
Opening hours:
Historic rooms: on Monday from 11am to 6pm, Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 6pm
Tower: on Monday from 11am to 8pm, Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 8pm
How to get there:
Tramway: lines 17 - 18 stop “Staroměstská”.
Subway Green line A, “Staroměstská”.
