Try to make time to visit the astronomical clock in Staromestske namesti at the top of the hour. The medieval clock by itself is gorgeous, but on the hour it puts on a good show with moving characters and loud bells. The hourly celebration is nothing spectacular when you compare it with what you see in Hollywood movies, but when you realize the mechanism is more than 500 years old, it becomes pretty impressive.
The clock is in the town hall (Staromestska radnice), which itself has an impressive history. Dating back to the 1300s, the town hall has seen all kinds of violence, from religious executions in the 17th century to occupation and subsequent destruction by the Nazis. The clock added on in the 15th century, and legend has it the maker of the mechanical figures – Master Hanus – was blinded by hot pokers by the town leaders to ensure that he never built anything as beautiful for anyone else.
At the top of the clock tower, apostles rotate around in two windows, and that’s usually all people focus on. But make sure to watch the figures below. On the right is a skeleton, which pulls the cord that makes the bell toll, and a man who admires himself in a mirror. On the left is a professor-looking character that nods his head, and a man with a sack. These characters actually represent the four threats to the city – Death, Vanity, a Turk, and a Jew. Sounds like the setup to a bad joke, but it’s really true.
The figures at the bottom don’t move, but they’re very pretty. They represent History, Philosophy, Astronomy and Religion.
As I mentioned above, the clock itself is a sight to see. In addition to telling the time in the usual fashion, it also shows the time in Roman numerals and Gothic numbers. The clock also charts the movements of the sun and the planets around the Earth and the through the signs of the zodiac.
The show is every hour, from 8am to about 8pm and lasts less than two minutes.