Astronomical Clock

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The centuries old astronomical clock is located in Old Town, close to many Prague holiday apartments. The clock is a great crowd puller, especially when it chimes.

The astronomical clock seems to embody the Bohemian obsession with mechanics and planetary objects, and can be seen as not only a magnificent clockwork mechanism, but also as one of the last expressions of the medieval system of thought, which was already starting to be replaced by a modern scientific rationalism.

The modern clock was perfected by Jan Taborsky in 1572, and its centrepiece is the procession of the 12 Apostles as the hour strikes, always a big hit with tourists. The astronomical clock itself, below the procession of the Apostles, has the Earth at the traditional centre of the universe, and the sun and moon orbiting about it. A ring of Arabic numerals measures time by Old Bohemian standards, and Roman numerals measure time as we know it. Blue areas represent the sky, divided into 12 Babylonian segments. The sun itself moves through the 12 zodiacal signs.

The Old Town Hall is open to visitors between 9am and 6pm in the summer, Tuesday to Sunday, closing an hour earlier in winter. Many Prague holiday apartments are located in the centre of the city and just a short walk from Astronomical Clock. Choosing a Prague apartment rental gives you space and flexibility when staying in Prague for your city break.