The Astronomical clock (Orloj)

The first clock of the Old Town hall dates from the beginning of the 15th century and must have been a fantastic technological achievement for the age. As the legend, the timepiece's maker Hanus was deliberately blinded by the local council in an attempt to stop him from building a similar clock elsewhere.
The mechanism of the clock made by Jan Taborsky between 1552-1572 is still functional.
Aside from showing the phases of the moon, the sun, planets and stars moving around the earth, the clock's most famous element is on the hour, a procession of the Twelve Apostles appears in the window in the upper part.
On both sides of the sphere are also movable sculptures. A skeleton rings a bell, turns over an hour-glass and nods at a Turk. The Turk shakes his head, explaning he does not want to go with him. Greed weighs his purse in his hand and Vanity admires himself in a mirror, both while nodding contentedly. The spectacle ends as the mechanical cock crows.
In the lower part, there are 12 medallions with signs of the zodiac, created by Josef Mánes (1865).



Public transport:
subway: line B, Námestí Republiky station
             line A, Mustek station or Staromestská station