The construction of the town hall was the culmination of a century of efforts to gain "independence". The wealthy citizens of the Old Town, who were trying to assert their rights and status, were the driving force behind this event. Eventually the King of Bohemia allows the citizens of Prague's Old Town to create an independent municipal government and build town hall on(Staroměstské radnice). Now the Old Town Hall is one of the brightest attractions of Prague, which thousands of tourists come to see.
It should be noted that the town hall in the Middle Ages was of great importance for the townspeople. The absence of a town hall meant the absence of self-government and the city's belonging to a feudal lord, who had full power in the city up to the point of condemnation to death. The presence of a town hall limited the rights of feudal lords and was a certain guarantee for wealthy townspeople. So, the town hall gave a certain freedom. Even the poor townspeople were given certain rights and opportunities. Therefore, the residents of the Old Town fought a hundred-year “war” for the right to have their own government and town hall. They became the masters of the city and the king's power was significantly limited. Including financial flows, which now flowed not directly to the king, but through the gentlemen who led the city government. 
So, in 1338, residents of the capital's Old Town received permission to build. The location for the town hall was chosen on the market square. The basis for the town hall building was a Gothic corner house on the square. The house was built in the 13th century, so it is now considered one of the most precious parts of the structure. A small tower was added to the house - and so it turned out to be a town hall. In 1364, the tower was rebuilt in the form that we see now, and the building itself was somewhat expanded, adding new rooms on the west side. A prison and chapel were also added to the town hall.
In 1410, an astronomical clock was installed on the tower. Moreover, the clock mechanism showed several time options, and in 1490 the figure of Death was added to the clock. In 1458, the election of the king also took place in the Old Town Hall.
In the 18th century, the four cities of Prague united into one union and, since 1784, the Old Town Hall became the seat of the unified official administration of the city.
Further construction work at the town hall took place between 1805 and 1807. At this time, a completely new clock was installed at the top of the tower. After this, the gallery on the tower began to be used as an observation deck over the historical center of Prague. In 1835, several more houses were annexed to the town hall. Several buildings on the eastern side were demolished and a luxurious neo-Gothic wing was built in their place, however, this part of the town hall was completely burned down at the end of the Second World War, along with a large number of books and historical documents. The wing has not yet been restored.
Inside the building, tourists should pay attention to the completely original ceiling of the 16th century, richly decorated with perfect wood carvings. Above the portals are twelve city coats of arms and the coats of arms of forty-six guilds. On the 2nd floor of the town hall there are the Jiri and Brozek halls. The first of them is named after King George of Poděbrady, who was elected King of the Czech Republic in 1458 in this hall. On the walls you can see paintings from the 15th century. The Brozek Hall currently serves as an assembly hall, and received its current appearance in 1910. In the Gothic chapel you can see the figures of the apostles of the town hall chimes. You can also go down to the basement of the town hall and go up to the observation deck of the tower.
The dimensions of the building are impressive:
Tower height: 56.59 m.
Tower width (south side): 8.37 m.
Tower depth (east side): 7.91 m.
Width of the town hall: 67.45 m.
Astronomical clock
One of the most mysterious places in Prague, attracting thousands of tourists every day is the Astronomical Clock at the Old Town Hall, or as the Czechs call it, Orla. According to some researchers, the astronomical clock is divided into four imaginary floors. Ancient alchemists and astrologers believed that the Universe consists of four elements: earth, water, air and fire. These elements are represented in the astronomical clock. Earth is the entrance door for the watchmaker, water is the calendar, air is the astrolabe, and fire is the apostles and the rooster. 
The outer dial of the clock shows Old Bohemian time, when a new day began at sunset. These watches use Italian names, which are indicated by gold Gothic numerals on the outer ring - the 24 hour dial. This time is shown by the golden hand.
The second dial with Roman numerals indicates Central European or Old German time. This time is quite understandable for us. This time is also shown by the golden hand. The Arabic numerals on the same disc indicate Babylonian or Arabic time, which was calculated only from sunrise to sunset.
The third dial on the watch is the zodiac ring, which depicts the path of the Sun and Moon across the sky. In fact, this is the main dial of the clock, which was intended to demonstrate the movement of celestial bodies, and the clock was added simply for entertainment, since in the 15th century there was practically no need for exact time, and the need to determine church holidays was great.
When the clock has passed a full hour (from 9.00 to 23.00), a procession of twelve apostles and other figures begins to move. The apostles, recognized by their attributes, appear in the clock windows.
In addition to the figures of the apostles, there are several more symbolic figures on the clock. At the top there is a rooster, which is a symbol of life. Below the rooster is a stone angel. To the left of the dials there are figures of a vain man who admires himself in the mirror and is a symbol of human vanity and a figure of a buyer-usurer, symbolizing vices and greed. To the right of the dials is a figurine of a skeleton that rotates an hourglass, and is a symbol of the dimension of life and the inevitability of fate, and a figurine of a Turk, which symbolizes spoiled extravagance. Below, on the sides of the calendar disk, there are figures (from left to right) of the Philosopher, Archangel Michael, Astronomer and Chronicler.
Today, the Old Town Hall is the center of weddings - brides from all over the world come here to get married.
http://www.staromestskaradnicepraha.cz/
The nearest metro station is Staroměstská, line A
Working hours:
Monday 11.00 - 22.00;
Tuesday - Sunday: 9.00 - 22.00.
Ticket prices.
Town Hall (chapel, historical hall, dungeon):
Adults - 100 CZK (€ 3.50)
Family - 210 CZK (€ 7.50).
Adults - 120 CZK (€ 4.50)
Preferential (children under 15 years old, students under 26 years old, pensioners over 65 years old) - 70 CZK (€ 2.50)
Family – 250 CZK (€ 9.00)
One of the most famous architectural monuments of Old Prague is the Old Town Hall. This building is the dominant feature of the square of the same name. This will be discussed in this article.
Description
The architectural complex, located on Old Town Square, is a system of several buildings. All of them were built in different centuries, but are interconnected by a dungeon. Thanks to this decision of the architects, the buildings form a single ensemble.
The Old Town Hall in Prague has an amazing interior. Thus, it combines ceiling paintings from the 16th century, medieval coats of arms, and baroque fireplaces. Also here are paintings by the 20th century artist Vaclav Brozik, illustrating the ascension of Jiri of Podebrady to the Czech throne. On the territory of the complex there is a huge number of sculptures of various types, a particularly famous work of art is the bust of King George of Poděbrady.
First building
The Old Town Hall was built over a long period of time. For the first time, the decree on its construction was issued by John of Luxembourg. He did this in 1338. For this purpose, a stone corner mansion built at the end of the 13th century was purchased. It belonged to a merchant named Wolf Kamena. It was in it that the first meeting room was opened, which is currently called the Small.
Tower
In 1360 another house was added on the west side. Its Gothic-style main hall with its famous coffered ceiling has been used for wedding ceremonies since 1871. In 1364, the Old Town Hall underwent changes again. Now the complex included a rectangular tower reaching a height of 69.5 meters. It was erected under the direction of the architect Petr Parler.
Chapel
17 years later a Gothic chapel appeared. It was decorated with an elegant bay window with five sides. Services were held here before council meetings.
Prague Astronomical Clock
The year 1410 was marked by the construction of an extension at the southern wall of the tower. This building housed an astronomical clock with a very complex mechanism. The Prague Astronomical Clock still functions today. You can watch their movement from the Gothic chapel. From the square you can see the puppet show. There is an observation deck on the tower, from which the whole of Prague is visible at a glance.
House of Miksha
This structure was added to the Old Town Hall in 1458. At the end of the 15th century, an arched relief portal appeared, located on the southern facade. And in 1652, a massive door was also made, decorated with lion faces. The coats of arms of the Czech Republic and Stare Mesto were also located here.
Trading shops
Since 1510, at least two dozen shops have been constantly operating under the town hall, where you can buy spices and salt. A decade later, a house was added to the town hall, the façade of which was subsequently decorated with 19 heraldic symbols. Above the Renaissance-style triple window was a motto that read: “Prague is the head of the kingdom.”
Recent additions and restoration
During the 17th and 18th centuries, two neo-Renaissance extensions appeared at the town hall. The last building, part of the Old Town Hall complex, was purchased by the authorities in 1896. Its façades were decorated with luxurious narrative sgraffito.
In 1945, air raids were carried out on the architectural complex, as a result of which the northern wing completely disappeared, and many buildings were severely damaged. In 1947, reconstruction of the tower began. On the site of the destroyed neo-Gothic style buildings there is currently a park.
Dungeon
The Romanesque dungeon is a collection of basements of buildings that are part of the town hall on Old Town Square. Construction of the dungeon began in the 12th century, that is, it is 2 centuries older than the town hall. It houses sculptures of Czech saints. An ancient well is also located here. It confirms the fact that the very first town hall building belonged to influential people. Several windows indicate that the dungeon was once the first floor of the town hall. However, the ground level in this area of Prague was raised to prevent flooding, and the first floor went underground.
Usage
For 700 years, the town hall buildings were used as places for negotiations, and the government of Prague was carried out here. For example, receptions of important guests have been held in the City Council Hall since the 13th century. The famous king of the Czech Republic, Jiri, or Jiri of Poděbrady, was chosen for this position here. The fact that council meetings were once held here is reminiscent of a long table and 12 chairs next to it.
The wedding hall is still in use. It is used very actively for its intended purpose: couples from all over the world come to the Czech Republic to hold a ceremony in this indescribably beautiful place. The basements, which currently connect the town hall buildings, previously served as a prison. Here those sentenced to death awaited execution.
Excursions
Anyone can visit the town hall by booking a tour. True, there is no audio guide in Russian. But it doesn’t matter: upon entering the buildings, you are given printed sheets with all the necessary information. You can watch the clock show every hour. And if you buy a ticket to the Old Town Hall, the photo of which is presented in this article, you will be able to see what the clock mechanism looks like and examine the figures of the apostles. The excursion costs from 100 to 210 crowns (as of the end of November this year 2017) - this is approximately from 270 to 560 rubles.
2013-04-23 16:51:12
Climbing the Old Town Hall tower in Prague (detailed overview)
The Old Town Hall Tower (Staroměstská radnice), which is located on the Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí), is best known for its astronomical clock. But it is also an excellent viewing platform. Perhaps the best in Prague, because... is located in the very center.
Entrance there is carried out in two stages. First you need to buy a ticket in the small room at the bottom of the tower on the right. Cost per person - 100 CZK. Family ticket - 210 CZK. Discounts for students. Then with this ticket you go (not to the tower at all, no), but to the neighboring red-orange palace (the diagram will be shown at the ticket office). At the same time, they will say that you need to go up “to the third floor.” This is true, but not all, because... After the third floor of the palace, you will ascend to the tower itself.
However, if you have previously climbed the tower of St. Vitus Cathedral - do not be alarmed! Here the climb is incomparably easier. Moreover, there is an elevator (!). But, if you are not looking for easy ways, then at the beginning you will find an interesting spiral “path”, decorated with alchemical drawings and even a model of a clock mechanism, and then a narrow spiral staircase. You can only walk along it in one direction at a time, so there is a traffic light there. When someone walks up the stairs, it glows red.
When you finally get up, you will come to an observation deck that is open on all four sides. Here all of Prague will be at your fingertips. Anyone who didn't take a camera with them will regret it!
Old Town Hall with chimes (Czech Republic) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
- Last minute tours to the Czech Republic
The main architectural dominant of the old town of Prague, the Old Town Hall is deservedly loved by tourists for its characteristic medieval fairy-tale appearance, its considerable age (it was founded in 1338) and a lot of interesting “stuffing”, including the amazing astronomical clock with the Orla chimes, which shows an hourly performance with figures of the apostles, and fascinating exhibitions taking place on the first and second floors of the town hall. And literature lovers rush here to visit the apartments of Franz Kafka, who lived in the building before the city hall adapted it to its needs. In addition, the main branch of the Prague Tourism Office is located in the Old Town Hall, so all the roads of tourists arriving in the Czech capital inevitably converge here.
What to see
Don’t be surprised if the ensemble of the Old Town Hall seems to you to consist of different, not very compatible blocks: the building grew and developed over almost 6 centuries - from the Early Gothic house of the late 13th century to the appearance of the Neo-Gothic wing in the mid-19th century. Take a good look at this amazing building : here is the oldest wing, so reminiscent of the aisle of some Gothic cathedral, and an elegant 4-story outbuilding with a soft pink facade, and the main building in an almost Romanesque, heavy style, with brick tiles, and, finally, a majestic clock tower, covered gallery and picturesque spiers - the calling card of Prague.
In the building on the left side of the clock tower (it is called “House at the Minute”) from 1889 to 1896. The future great writer Franz Kafka spent the period of his life from 6 to 13 years old.
Following a guided tour of the town hall, you will visit the Consul's Chamber with its amazing carved ceiling and the Assembly Room, which is decorated with beautiful mosaic panels from the 1930s, then the Gothic Chapel, where you can see the figures of the apostles, and finally the Romanesque and Gothic cellars - the most the ancient part of the town hall.
The astronomical clock of the Old Town Hall dates back to 1410 and is the third oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest operating to this day. This is a whole chamber of time and geographical coordinates: many dials built into each other show modern and ancient Czech time, sunrise and twilight, zodiac sign, moon phase, tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, ecliptic...
The incredible spectacle of the astronomical clock can be observed at every full hour. At the signal of the skeleton-Death bell, the ancient chimes play a melody that sets in motion Vanity, Greed, Death and Lust, followed by a procession of 12 apostles.
Old Town Square and Town Hall with chimes
Practical information
Address: Prague, Staromestske namesti, 1. The nearest metro station is Staromestska. Web site
Opening hours: from 11:00 to 18:00 on Mondays, on other days of the week - from 9:00 to 18:00. The tower is open until 22:00.
You can only visit the town hall on a guided tour. They start every half hour and are held in 5 languages. The schedule can be found on the Town Hall website.
The cost of the excursion is 250 CZK, for children under 16 years old, with a discount - 150 CZK. Prices on the page are as of November 2018.
The Old Town Hall is the most popular point on the map of any tourist who decides to visit Prague. It is the dominant structure of the Old Town Square and never fails to attract hundreds of thousands of travelers from all over the world.
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The Old Town Hall was founded in 1338, and it is an extremely unusual historical site, as it is assembled from various small houses. Its expansion continued in 1458, when the so-called "house of Miksha" was added to the western side. Two more houses, "At the Golden Moon" and "At the Rooster", were added at the end of the seventeenth century. The House at the Minute was sold to the city council for the expansion of the town hall in 1896. The House of Mix was rebuilt in the neo-Renaissance style in 1879-1880. The author of the project was Antonin Baum. This wing was destroyed in the last years of World War II during the Prague Uprising.
Like every medieval town hall, at one time there was also a prison here. Prisoners were lowered into a cell, which was essentially a hole in the ground, which was then covered with stones. In a word, they buried him alive. Throughout the twentieth century, many architectural competitions were held, the purpose of which was to identify the person who could create the right design for the expansion and reconstruction of the town hall. But all competitions ended without a winner, or their projects were never brought to life.
Description
Built in 1338, it is one of the central tourist sites in Prague. Its popularity is largely due to the famous astronomical clock, which announces the arrival of a new hour every day with a bizarre performance. Once upon a time, the city council functioned in full swing at the town hall, but now anyone can visit it for a set fee, and lovers can even get married. Unfortunately, the original appearance of the town hall has not been preserved - the eastern wing was destroyed in the year the Second World War ended.
Architecture of the Old Town Hall
The Old Town Hall is essentially five buildings, different in style, but collected into a single complex. These buildings are former mansions of Czech nobles, which were gradually bought up by the city council. In general, all facades are decorated in Italian neo-Gothic style. The dominant structure of the Old Town Hall is the 69.5 meter high tower, built at the end of the fourteenth century, with a richly decorated window and a chapel on the east side.
The interior decoration of the rooms perfectly matches the impressive exterior. The spacious entrance hall was decorated during the reconstruction of the late fifteenth century. The two large mosaics, created by the Czech architect Vojtěch Ignaz Ullman and designed by Mikolas Ales, are truly impressive. The theme of the western wall mosaic is taken from national myths.
It depicts Princess Libuše, predicting the greatness of Prague. On the opposite wall there is an allegory entitled “Slavdom’s Homage to Prague.” A modern renovation of the second lobby introduced changes to the original architecture. There is a bronze statue (1885), cast by the sculptor Josef Vaclav Myslbek, which also embodies the plot of the folk myth - the statue depicts the legendary singer Lumir, accompanied by the metaphorical figure of the Song.
The first floor is reached by a staircase designed by Jan Bielski. The rooms here are suitable for wedding ceremonies. The façade is dominated by a wide Renaissance window. On the second floor there is a session room and a council room.
The latter is one of the most beautiful rooms in the town hall. Despite numerous reconstructions, it managed to preserve as much as possible the appearance created back in 1470. The walls are decorated with Gothic paneling, emblems, and coats of arms of the old city. The most precious piece of furniture is considered to be a wooden figure of Christ from the early 15th century.
Chapel of the Virgin Mary
The chapel is located on the first floor. Visitors can admire unique stained glass windows that actually depict the figures of the apostles and how the mechanism of the astronomical clock works. From the outside, the chapel can be seen by the pentagonal bay window, decorated with the coats of arms of local lands.
There is nothing surrounding the chapel on the right side - there was once a Gothic portal here, but it was destroyed during the Second World War. An amazing fact, but the chapel was illuminated almost five times. Initially, services were held there, announcing the beginning of the council meeting, as well as various festive events and liturgies. Currently, only national events and weddings are held in the Chapel of the Virgin Mary.
Orloy chimes
One of the most mysterious places in Prague, which attracts thousands of tourists every day, is the Astronomical Clock of the Old Town Hall. The Orloy chimes can be roughly divided into three parts: the first contains small windows in which 12 apostles appear every hour and bow to the crowd waiting for them. Each apostle holds a specific symbol: St. Peter has a key, St. Matthew has an axe, St. John has a cup. The four figures below them are directly brought into action when the apostles appear.
The skeleton turns over his hourglass and rings the bell, signaling the end of life; the Turk - a symbol of a comfortable life - nods his head and then shakes it, not wanting to surrender to death. The figure representing vanity looks into the mirror, and the miser (symbol of stinginess) shakes a wallet full of money. At the end of this peculiar performance, the crow of a cock heralds the beginning of a new hour.
The second section (above) shows the movement of the planets. Naturally, they express a vision of the universe of past generations, where the Sun revolves around the motionless Earth. At the very bottom there is a calendar wheel, which, in addition to the coat of arms of the Old Town, depicts the signs of the zodiac and months. Along the edge of the wheel - 365 notches - the wheel turns one notch every day, thereby completing a full rotation in a year.
In addition, the clock shows four different times: Central European is depicted in Roman numerals along the edge of the top edge, Old Bohemian is shown in Gothic numerals (the day begins at sunset), there is also Babylonian time, where summer lasts much longer than winter, and finally, celestial time, depicted in small star on the zodiac cross.
According to some researchers, it can be seen that the clock is divided into four imaginary levels. Ancient alchemists and astrologers believed that the Universe consisted of four elements: earth, water, air and fire. As a matter of fact, it is these elements that are represented in the design of the astronomical clock. The earth is the watchmaker's front door, water is the dial, air is the astrolabe and, finally, fire is the apostles and the rooster. But does this represent the Cosmic Universe? It's hard to guess now. Let's try to look at history and stretch a thin thread of knowledge today.
At an early stage of its creation in 1402, a classical clock was installed on the tower of the Old Town Hall, and a couple of years later - a large bell. The first record of the Prague Astronomical Clock is dated October 14, 1410. Based on this document, the clock was built by watchmakers Mikulas from Kadan, who created it using the calculations of Jan Schindel - at that time the best mathematician and astronomer in Prague. The appearance of the watch that modern travelers observe was designed by masters Jan Hanusz and Jan Taborski. Of no less value are the sculptural decorations of the clock, sculpted by the famous architect Petr Parler.
But let's go back to 1410. At that time, the most ancient parts of the clock were made - the clock mechanism itself and the astronomical dial. Historians have long been convinced that the clock was created by Jan Rez in 1490, who was widely known under the pseudonym Mister Hanush. But he was not a designer of astronomical clocks, but only repaired them between 1475 and 1497. At that time he significantly modernized them. After his death, watchmaker Jakubu worked for hours on end, then Vaclav Zvenek, and then Jan Taborski. Each of them made a small contribution to the adjustment of the clock mechanism.
Over the long period of its operation, the watch was repaired several times. Sometimes they even stopped. In the eighteenth century, people were not very interested in the mechanisms of measuring time, the Orloy chimes were forgotten, and their condition left much to be desired. Fortunately, they were subsequently repaired thanks to Professor Antonin Strand. He managed to convince the government of Prague to restore such an historically significant artifact. The restoration of the clock was carried out by watchmaker Simon Landsperger between 1787 and 1791. A few years later, statues of the apostles were installed in the clock, and after another renovation (between 1865 and 1866) a rooster was added.
Once again the clock was heavily damaged during the Prague Uprising of 1945. The town hall was on fire, causing significant damage. The flames affected not only the wooden structure, but also the clock mechanism with the statues of the apostles. Thanks to the incredible efforts of the Vesecki brothers, the clock was repaired in 1948 and still works perfectly today.
South façade of the town hall
