The Old Town Hall in Prague is one of the two most visited sites in the city, with the other one being Charles Bridge. It is most known for its famous feature, the astronomical clock, but there is so much more to it.
The oldest part of the town hall is the town hall tower, which is also the tallest part, constructed in 1338. The rest of the entire town hall today consists of multiple different houses adjacent to the tower, which were bought over different periods of time and integrated as a single unit.
the old town hall tower, to the left and the tyn church behind it, centre.
The tower is about 70 metres tall, and the astronomical clock dominates its facade. It was installed in 1410, and has a dial showing the position of the sun, moon and other astronomical objects. Beneath it there is a calendar dial, installed later, showing the months. The clock is most famous however, for the ‘parade of the apostles’ - where the figures of the 12 apostles pass by a small door above the clock which opens exactly as the clock strikes every hour, from 9AM onwards (until 11pm). There are other figures around the clock, a skeleton ringing a bell and a man shaking his head, at the same time. I dont have a good pic or video of the apostles so linking one from youtube here.
Though the original mechanism dates back to the 15th century, it has been repaired many times since. Every hour before the clock strikes, a huge crowd gathers in front of the tower to watch the apostles, so you have to be there early and get a good spot - but for all the eager expectations of the crowd, let me tell you it lasts just 30 seconds. It could turn out a little underwhelming, to be honest, especially if you've heard it hyped up - but the thing to remember here is that you are seeing a 15th century clock mechanism that is still kept working, and has become the symbol of a city.
It is at this point that most of the crowd disperses, having seen the clock strike. But the clock is just one of the things about the town hall. There is so much more to be seen, literally top to bottom, and for that you start by getting an entrance ticket, either online or right there once you enter the building. I started straight away with the inside tour since i had seen the clock earlier.
Guided tours are available at specific hours, or else you can take a self guided tour. There was some more time to go for the next available guided tour, so i decided to see the top of the tower first (which you see by yourself ). Like I said earlier, the tower dates back to the 1300s, but surprisingly has a very modern elevator/lift that goes up to the top. There is also a ramp all around it so you can choose to walk up or down too - which i recommend doing at least one way, so that you can see the elevator shaft, which itself is a beautiful work of art.
The top of the tower has a viewing gallery running all around, so you get a spectacular 360° view of prague. You can see the crowds gathered below in front of the clock, and the Tyn church, the town square, and the powder tower beyond, on one side. The iconic red roofs, the numerous domes and spires of Prague all around, and even the castle is visible in the distance.
See the crowds gathered below to see the apostles when the clock strikes. This was on a weekday afternoon, so be prepared for more if you will be there on weekends or evenings.
Once you’re done seeing the view from above, you can come down and start the tour of the interior - the first point of which is the Chapel of the Virgin Mary, consecrated in the late 1300s. In addition to the beautiful stained glass, the other important aspect of the chapel is that one can see the movement of the 12 apostles from behind, when the clock is striking. I had lost track of time with the views at the top and realised it only when the clock started to strike, so couldnt make it down to the chapel in time to see the apostles. So don't be like me - time yourself accordingly, to be there near the hour. You can of course start from the chapel, finish the inside tour, and then go up the tower for viewing at the end, and spend as much time as you want.
We go from the chapel through the Municipal Hall, which was renovated after 1945 due to damages in the war, and into the Council Hall, which also served as a hall for the town court. The council hall is one of the most well preserved halls in the building, still retaining original architectural elements on its walls and ceilings dating back to the 15th century. It also has a huge stove that is almost floor to ceiling in height, and has the figure of the goddess of justice depicted on it. Though she has a sword and scales each in one hand, interestingly there is no blindfold, like in modern depictions. The hall has also seen its own rough brand of justice meted out, like the time when the mayor or judge himself was literally thrown out of the window onto the street !
Next in the tour is the Assembly Hall. Remember that i mentioned earlier that the present townhall building is a collection of different houses integrated over time ? The assembly hall occupies the entire floorplan of one house, and is two floors high. It thus has an imposing look, and its walls on two sides are covered entirely by paintings of two important events in Czech history. The hall is named after the painter himself, called Brozik hall.
The next one is the George Hall, which has a marble bust of King George of Bohemia, and parts of the old 15-16th century walls and ceiling preserved. The window of this hall shows a little glimpse of the U Minuty building right next door, with its unique sgraffito work all over the facade.
The most interesting part of the old town hall is probably what comes next, as we descend beneath the town hall, into underground cellars that are much older than the town hall itself. These were once houses that existed at street level during the romanesque period, probably roughly around 9-10th century. Since the Vltava river constantly flooded these parts, the ground level in these streets was raised, making them subsequently underground cellars a few metres below the present ground level. The cellars are part of the guided tour, and they are well lit, roomy enough to walk around and don't feel claustrophobic or anything.
The cellars have tiny arched windows high up in the walls characteristic of that period, and you walk over the original cobblestoned floors from a thousand years ago. That the cellar was originally several separate houses is evidenced by the varying floor levels at different places.
The cellar was also used as a prison and you can see a hole in the ground even below the cellar into which the prisoners were lowered. Not the pleasantest of thoughts to imagine. Since we have the good fortune of not being medieval prisoners, we move on and see other parts of the cellar including a disused well or two, into which people have thrown coins for luck.
a disused well in the underground cellar
The tour of the cellar concludes the town hall tour. The guide was very informative and witty and even helpful with some extra info about a couple of nearby spots. Seeing the entire town hall is definitely a unique experience - you can go from seeing the rooftops of prague to its underground in the same place - so while you're there, try not to turn away after seeing the clock alone, and spare some time to step in.
Nicely written. Felt transported there
ReplyDeletethank you so much, suraj !
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