Prague Astronomical Clock
Every hour, a skeleton marks the time — on a clock mechanism that has been running since 1410.
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The Orloj is a working medieval machine, not a replica. Its astronomical dial tracks the positions of the Sun and Moon, and each hour the Walk of the Apostles begins: moving Apostle figures parade past while a skeleton representing Death strikes the time. The clock mechanism dates to 1410, created by horologist Mikuláš of Kadaň and astronomer Jan Šindel. The calendar dial below, ringed with medallions for each month, was added around 1490.
What to look for
- The skeleton figure representing Death, which strikes the time during the hourly Apostle procession
- The astronomical dial showing the positions of the Sun and Moon across a medieval face
- The calendar dial with medallions representing each month, added around 1490
Stand on Old Town Square facing the southern wall of Old Town Hall; arrive a few minutes before any full hour to catch the Walk of the Apostles from a clear sightline.
Prague Astronomical Clock is one of 36 sights worth the detour in Prague, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Prague pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Prague
- Prague CastleThe Guinness-record largest ancient castle on Earth — and the Czech president still works inside it.
- Charles BridgeCzech legend holds that Charles IV chose his construction start time — 5:31am on 9 July 1357 — because the digits form a palindrome he believed would imbue the bridge with additional strength.
- St. Vitus CathedralOne theory holds that the founding duke may have chosen St. Vitus partly because his name echoes a Slavic sun god — making conversion easier for a populace already devoted to the solar deity Svantevit. Christian and pagan communities shared this hilltop until at least the 11th century.
- Dancing HouseTwo interlocked towers shaped like mid-dance partners, built on a Vltava riverfront plot that sat bombed-out and derelict for decades.
- National Museum in PragueThe building that closes off Wenceslas Square has anchored Czech protests, rallies, and public life since 1891.
- Wenceslas SquareWhere horse traders once haggled, Czechs have gathered for revolutions and rallies — and still do, in the country's busiest pedestrian square.