06/02/2026
Although many people want to read the time, we must not forget, that the primary purpose was not to measure the time. The Clock is a miniature model of the universe.
Prague’s Astronomical Clock allows you to read four different times. Some of them might look very strange for us today and some are not even used anymore. Even so, it’s quite unique to have these different times together on one mechanism.
Astronomical Clock shows the position of the Sun and the Moon as well. Their symbols are attached to the astronomical dial and move around it through the day and night.
The very first calendar dial was from the 15th century, added by master Hanuš. Today, we know about its existence only from several paintings and some old documents. The current dial, designed by the Czech artist Josef Mánes, is from the 19th century.
Calendar dial shows:
Days of the month
Feast days
Allegorical pictures of the month
Allegorical pictures of the zodiac
Imagine yourself standing on the Old Town Square. It’s almost at the top of the hour. You, and thousands of other people, are standing in front . And then, when the bell from the church nearby announces the top of the hour, it starts.
Firstly, the two blue windows above the astronomical open and the procession of the Apostles sets in motion. They were the part of the Clock from the mid 18th century. But, these statues, that you can admire today, are from the 20th century.
We do not know when exactly the statues of the Apostles are on the Clock. They disappeared and reappeared back several times in history. Moreover, statues were destroyed during the fire of the Old Town Hall in May 1945. They were replaced by the current copies in 1947.
While the Apostles walk, other figures next to the astronomical dial set in motion as well. They are Vanity, Avarice, Death and Turk. They slightly move either with their hands or heads.
Death is the most interesting figure. She has sandglass in one hand and rings a bell with the other one. Even more, with a closer look, you notice that Death is smiling. It’s a symbol of the blissful death.
