Old Town Hall with Astronomical Clock

The Old Town Hall is the seat Prague's Old Town won for itself in 1338, when the estates obtained King John of Bohemia's approval to establish an administration of their own, and Prague City Tourism calls it the oldest institution of Czech self-government. The prismatic tower, 69.5 metres high, was completed in 1364, and the astronomical clock was fitted to its southern wall in 1410 by Mikuláš of Kadaň. The building's most conspicuous feature is a wound. January–March: daily 10:00–19:00. January–March: daily 10:00–19:00. April–December: daily 09:00–20:00.

The basic ticket covers two things: the tower and the Knights' Hall on the first floor. The tower's viewing gallery sits at 42 metres, reached by a lift or on foot, and the Knights' Hall holds the exhibition Resurrection of a Bell together with a digital 3D model of the astronomical clock. Everything else is behind a surcharged guided tour that runs only at announced times. Circuit B, 100 CZK, is the underground alone. Open seven days a week with no regular weekly closure day. Guided tours of the historical interiors follow a separate daily timetable.

Ninety minutes is the figure this guide records, and it is the operator's own. Prague City Tourism schedules its private and school tours of the Old Town Hall — the historical interiors plus the tower — at a usual duration of ninety minutes, and that is the only length it publishes for a full visit. Plan for it if the intention is a guided circuit as well as the view. Two things stretch the visit unpredictably. Public-transport arrival is Staroměstská station on Metro Line A. The destination is Staroměstské náměstí 1/3; step-free visitors should use the rear entrance from Mikulášská ulice.

The Old Town Hall does not close for a weekly day off. From April to December it is open every day from 9:00 to 20:00, and from January to March every day from 10:00 to 19:00, so the useful question is the hour rather than the weekday. January–March: daily 10:00–19:00. April–December: daily 09:00–20:00. January–March: daily 10:00–19:00. April–December: daily 09:00–20:00. Public-transport arrival is Staroměstská station on Metro Line A. The destination is Staroměstské náměstí 1/3; step-free visitors should use the rear entrance from Mikulášská ulice. The step-free entrance is at the rear on Mikulášská ulice.

Full admission is 350 CZK. Reduced is 230 CZK for children of 6 to 15, seniors over 65 and holders of a Czech ZTP disability card; youth of 16 to 26 pay 280 CZK; a family ticket for two adults and up to four children is 750 CZK; a Lítačka card holder pays 330 CZK. Basic adult/general admission is 350 CZK and includes the Town Hall Tower and Knight’s Hall. Guided historical-interior circuits cost an additional 150 CZK for Circuit A or 100 CZK for Circuit B. The step-free entrance is at the rear on Mikulášská ulice.

The address is Staroměstské náměstí 1/3, Staré Město, Prague 1 — the southern side of Old Town Square, with the astronomical clock facing the square and the ticket office on the ground floor behind it. Wheelchair users should not head for the clock front. Public-transport arrival is Staroměstská station on Metro Line A. The destination is Staroměstské náměstí 1/3; step-free visitors should use the rear entrance from Mikulášská ulice. Only parts of the building are accessible. Two elevators connect the ground floor with the fourth floor; a platform stair lift connects the main building with the tower, and a cylindrical elevator serves the tower.

The commonest mistake is buying online and expecting the whole building. An online skip-the-line ticket admits the holder to the tower only; the guided circuit of the chapel, state rooms and underground is a surcharge payable on the spot, on the day, and organised groups who want one must reserve by phone or email in advance. The step-free entrance is at the rear on Mikulášská ulice. Two elevators connect the ground floor with the fourth floor; a platform stair lift connects the main building with the tower, and a cylindrical elevator serves the tower.

The gallery at 42 metres is the reason most cameras come here, and it looks down rather than out: Old Town Square directly beneath, the twin spires of the Týn church at eye level to the east, and an unbroken field of tiled roofs in every other direction. It is a wide-angle position at close range, and the railing is at chest height, so a compact camera or a phone held over the parapet does better than a long lens. The platform stair lift is unsuitable for electric wheelchairs; a mechanical wheelchair can be borrowed on site.