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Astronomical Clock location
Ancient arts, sculptures, and mechanical structures are often so beautiful to behold. There is always this alluring feeling of awe you get when staring at ancient wonders. Have you ever wondered how some of the most famous engineering masterpieces were created by the older civilization even with lesser engineering knowledge? This beautiful astronomical clock of Prague is one of those great engineering wonders that is sure to leave you in awe.
The background of the Prague Astronomical Clock
Here’s a little history that may spike your interest in this Ancient masterpiece. The clock was created well over 6 centuries ago. To be specific, it was created in 1410 AD by veteran clockmaker and genius, Mikulas of Kudan. The initial design created by this master only featured the clock’s mechanism as well as the astronomical dial that would be used in controlling it. This allowed it to serve as both a massive clock for the whole city as well as a dial to adequately monitor astronomical and celestial activities.
The famous Prague Astronomical Clock remained in its basic design until clockmaker Jan Ruze who is also known as Master Hanus built it further in 1490. A lot of historical text and stories recognize Master Hanus as the creator of the Prague Astronomical Clock. This is due to him being the major developer of the clock. He was responsible for including beautiful gothic sculptures and a calendar dial onto the clock. As such, the clock was serving its basic functions and also offered insight into the months.
A notable and rather fascinating part of this Clock’s history is that it was left unused for decades on end. Famous legends and tales have it that the creator of this beautiful masterpiece was ordered to be blinded by the Supreme Prague Council back when the clock was created. Master Hanus as you may have guessed wasn’t too thrilled by the prospect of being blinded. He then craftily disengaged the clock, thereby rendering it useless. No other clockmaker could repair this clock for more than 62 years after this event.
Why did the Prague Council give such harsh judgment? You may ask. Well, it’s because they didn’t want Master Hanus to replicate the giant clock elsewhere.
Where can you find the Prague Astronomical Clock?
Quite astonishingly, either by design or mere architectural luck, the Astronomical clock of Prague is located on the southern wall of The Old Town Hall Tower, which is itself located in the center of the Old town. What’s more surprising is that this Old town is located geographically around the center of Prague. This tower is quite an imposing building, and it’s quite certain that you can’t miss it. It’s a building that you can easily see from anywhere you are located around the Old town.
How to get to the Prague Astronomical Clock
To get to the Prague Astronomical Clock, your journey begins with booking a flight to Prague. Make your journey to Old Town via the metro and stop at the Staroměstská tram station. Once there, you only need a 10 to 15-minute walk to get you to the entrance of the Old Town Hall Tower. At the tower, you’d pay your entrance fee and will finally get to see the Prague Astronomical Clock up-close.
Visiting the Prague Astronomical Clock
Although you may be excited about visiting the Prague Astronomical Clock, the deal-breaker is that the tower is not open 24/7. As such, your sightseeing can only be within the opening hours of the tower.
Opening hours on Monday starting from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm this is all through January to September. But from October to December, the opening hours extend from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Opening hours from Tuesday to Sunday starts from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm all through January to September. But from October to December, the opening hours extend from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Prepare to be amazed by the ancient astronomical clock. But don’t forget to budget around 150 CZK to 500 CZK for your entry fee. 150 CZK is a discounted price, 250 CZK is the basic entry fee, while 500 CZK is strictly for admitting families. Carry your digital camera along to capture the moment. The beauty of the Prague Astronomical Clock is the fact that it is the oldest astronomical clock still functional.