Standing regally on a corner in Old Town Square, the Old Town Hall with the astonishing Astronomical Clock must be one of Prague´s most famous and easily recognisable landmarks.
Prague's old Town Hall was built in 1364. It is said that it was paid for by a duty levied on wine. The tower of the Town Hall stands out because of the astronomical clock which is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. Like most other buildings which have survived the centuries.
The Hall has undergone continuous expansions and reconstructions which have produced a building which is a colorful collection of Gothic and Renaissance-style façades. In the last days of the second world war part of the building was destroyed, therefore after the reconstruction it looks like two different buildings linked in one.
The most obvious thing to do of course, is to join the many others sightseers and gaze upwards towards the astronomical clock to watch it strike the hour, at which point the skeleton on the right starts to pull on a string. In the meantime he looks at his other hand, in which he holds an hourglass. Then, two windows open, from where the apostles march and after all that a cock crows! After this you can venture inside and go up to the very top of the tower for a breathtaking panoramic view of the Old Town.
Apart from this most wonderful attraction, the Town Hall also has a practical use within its historical walls in the form of a tourist information centre where you can ask for information or simply pick up some leaflets,with which you can pop across the road to the nearest cafe-bar and sip on one of those famous Czech beers while you relax, enjoy the view of the Old Town Hall and the beautiful astronomical clock and ponder what to see next!
