The Old Town Hall or the Old Town Hall (Staroměstska radnice) is one of the most important and interesting architectural complexes in Prague, which is included in the list Top attractions of the city.
Today, in the historic Old Town Hall, which consists of a complex of buildings, you can visit the chapel with the mechanism of the Prague chimes, halls, dungeons and climb to the observation deck in the Town Hall Tower.
The Old Town Hall is located in the heart of the old town of Prague, on the famous Old Town Square (Staroměstske naměstí).
The Town Hall has a high tower, thanks to which it is dominant throughout the Old Town Square.
On the south side of the town hall tower there is a legendary astronomical clock, where 12 apostles appear every hour.
View of the Old Town Hall (left) in the ensemble of the Old Town Square
The history of the Old Town Hall of Prague
The Town Hall was founded in 1338 as the residence of the self-government of the Old Town. This privilege was granted to local citizens by King Jan of Luxembourg. It was here that the Czech estates elected George of Podebrad as King of Bohemia in 1458. After the Battle on the White Mountain, the leading members of the resistance were imprisoned in the walls of the Town Hall, twenty-seven of whom were executed on June 21, 1621 on the square in front of the Town Hall (crosses are marked on the sidewalk). After the unification of the four Prague cities in 1784, the town hall became the residence of the unified official administration of the city.
On May 7-8, 1945, during the Prague Uprising, the Town Hall was shelled and set on fire. The eastern and northern wings of the town Hall, which were located opposite the Tyn Temple, were completely destroyed and were never restored again, and the tower with the astronomical clock and the chapel in the tower were severely damaged, but subsequently were thoroughly reconstructed.
The complex of buildings of the Old Town Hall of Prague
During its existence, the town hall has gone through the development of all stylistic periods.
Today, the Old Town Hall in Prague is a complex of buildings and consists of a block of houses and buildings of different times, which gradually merged into a single whole. The basis of the buildings are Romanesque houses, which are older than the town hall itself and the remains of which are now in the basements of the town hall. However, the predominant style in the interiors and exteriors of the Old Town Hall is still Gothic.
Town Hall tower with astronomical clock and observation deck
The core of the Old Town Hall is the oldest part of the complex - a wing with a massive high Gothic tower of the 14th century.
Originally it was the house of the wealthy merchant Wolflin Kamene of the late 13th century, to which a large prismatic tower was attached, completed in 1364, on which an astronomical clock was later placed.
The construction of the tower was of practical importance - in case of danger to the city, a warning signal was given from the tower.
This part of the town hall is decorated with a Gothic bay window (inside there is a chapel) with a rich exterior design. At the corner of the bay window there is a copy of a wonderful Gothic statue, the so-called Old Town Madonna, an exemplary sculpture of the late 14th century.
The Town Hall tower has a height of almost 70 meters.
On the south side of the tower there is a unique astronomical clock, which is also called the Prague Clock, the Old Town Clock or the Orloj Clock (Prazsky Orloj or Staroměstský orloj).
The clock on the tower appeared in 1410. They were created by the watchmaker Mikulash from Kadani according to the project of the mathematician-astronomer Jan Shindel. Subsequently, the watch was improved and supplemented. To accommodate the clock, a special stone extension was attached to the tower, in which the entire mechanical clock system was located.
The Eagle watch consists of two main components arranged vertically. In the center there is an astronomical dial that shows the Old Czech, Babylonian, Central European (modern) and sidereal time, as well as the time of sunrise and sunset, the position of the Sun and Moon among the constellations included in the zodiac circle, and the phases of the Moon. Under the astronomical dial there is a calendar dial that allows you to determine the day and month of the calendar year, the day of the week, non-working days, as well as permanent holidays of the Christian calendar.
In addition, the clock is decorated with sculptural figures and figures with moving parts, which show a show performance during the battle and are the third component of the Prague Chimes.
Today, in the "show" of the Prague Chimes, every hour (from 9:00 to 23:00), you can see a representation of moving figures. Here 12 apostles and other figures appear on the sides of the astronomical clock - Death in the form of a human skeleton, which rings, turns the hourglass and indicates to the standing Turk that his time has expired.
You can see the presentation of the astronomical clock for free from the Old Town Square. Learn more about the Prague Chimes...
The battle of the Prague Chimes
In the upper part of the Town Hall Tower there is a gallery, which today is an observation deck with beautiful views of Prague.
A modern glass elevator takes visitors to the gallery, or you can climb the stairs.
Other buildings of the Prague Old Town Hall complex
On the west side, several other buildings that are part of the Old Town Hall complex are adjacent to the old part of the Old Town Hall. They were added over time and were the process of expanding the town hall.
So, in 1360, a second building was added to the west side of the first building of the town hall, in which there was a local government meeting room with a wooden Gothic ceiling. The exterior of this building is distinguished by a powerful Late Gothic portal with the coats of arms of the Old Town and the Czech Kingdom above the window.
Further, the Krzyzh House (Křížówv dúm) became part of the town hall, distinguished by a beautiful three-part window in the Neo-Renaissance style with the inscription "Praga caput regni" (Prague head of the Kingdom). Under the main cornice there is a strip of 19 signs carved in stone, and in the middle there is the coat of arms of the Old City of Prague.
In 1458, the local authorities bought another building - the house of the tanner Mikš (Mikš?v d?m). The house was rebuilt on a Romanesque foundation in the Neo-Renaissance style by architect Antonin Baum. The first floor of the building is divided into three arches, and the upper one is distinguished by two large three-part windows.
Next, a house was bought "At the Rooster" (D?M U Kohouta / At Kohout) in 1835, located near the corner house "At the Minute" (D?M U Minuty).
Interior spaces and a visit to the Old Town Hall of Prague
You can visit the interior of the Old Town Hall complex: the representative halls of the Old Town Hall, the chapel of the Old Town Hall with the mechanism of the Prague Chimes, dungeons (basements) The Old Town Hall and the observation deck in the tower of the town Hall, which I talked about earlier in this article.
Representative halls of the Old Town Hall
The representative halls consist of the Municipal Hall, the Hall of the Old Town Hall, the Assembly Hall of Brozhik and the Hall of Yirzhik.
The Jiříková sín Hall is named after the bust of King George of Podebrad (by Tomáš Sejdan, 1873). On the walls of the hall there is a valuable wall painting of the early 15th century. The hall has been adapted since the 1930s by architect Pavel Yanak. On the wall there is a painting "View from Petrin Hill", by Karel Liebsher, 1902.
The Brožíkova síň Hall was renovated in 1910 by architect Josef Hohol. It serves as a conference hall and occupies the entire layout of one of the houses of the town hall complex and the height of two floors. The name of the hall is given by two large oil paintings on canvas (8x5 m.) by Vaclav Brozhik: Master Jan Huss in front of the Constance Cathedral and the election of George of Podebrad as King of Bohemia.
The chapel of the Old Town Hall with the mechanism of the Prague Chimes
The Chapel of the Virgin Mary is located on the 1st floor and was founded shortly after the construction of the town hall tower and consecrated back in 1381. Services were held here before each meeting of the city council. Masses were also held in the chapel for the benefit of the monarch, funeral ceremonies were also frequent.
Today, the chapel of the town hall is one of the rarest architectural monuments of the Czech Republic.
The chapel space consists of a transept and a pentagonal bay window. Above the entrance portal of the chapel there is an emblem - a wreath carried by two kingfishers, and the letter E is a well-known motif of Vaclav IV. E is probably the initial of Queen Euphemia (Sophia) and refers to her coronation in 1400. The stained glass windows of the chapel also attract attention.
From the Gothic chapel, you can look inside the Prague Chimes and follow the movement of the clock mechanisms, as well as see the 12 apostles "from the back".
Dungeons of the Old Town Hall
Under the town hall there is a complex system of Romanesque-Gothic dungeon, which is older than the town hall itself. This complex of medieval halls, corridors and tunnels is also the largest of its kind in Prague. Previously, the level of the Romanesque-Gothic city was several meters lower than today.
Practical information
A visit to the Old Town Hall is paid, by ticket. It is necessary to pay extra for the ascent to the observation deck of the tower.
Tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the ticket office of the Town Hall.
The performance of the Prague Chimes can be watched free of charge from the side of the Old Town Square.
Prices and time for visiting the interiors of the town hall, as well as the time of the presentation of the chimes of the Eagle, we recommend checking on the website: staromestska-radnice-s-orlojem.
Address of the Old Town Hall: Staroměstske nam. 1/3, 110 00 Staré Město, Czech Republic.
Coordinates of the Old Town Hall: 50°05'13.0"N 14°25'15.0"E (50.086944, 14.420833).
The New Town Hall of Prague (Nová radnice) is located on Mariana Square (Mariánské náměstí), which is not far from the Old Town Hall.
All accommodation facilities in Prague (hotels, apartments, guest houses, etc.), including in the historical center of the city and more remotely from it, can be viewed and booked here
