Old Town Hall

Old Town Hall, Prague Overview

Constructed in 1338, Old Town Hall is one of the most significant monuments located in Prague, Czech Republic. This historical town hall incorporates a complex of five medieval houses; the quarter of which is embellished with a gothic-looking oriel window, an old astronomical clock, and an enormous rectangular tower. With splendid interiors, painted ceilings, and gothic architecture, the Old Town Hall remains to be one of the most visited monuments of the city.

Established as an administrative seat for the Old Town in Prague, the Old Town Hall is now majorly utilized for ceremonial purposes. The five ancient houses cover several enriched rooms dating from different periods of history, underground areas carrying mysterious legends and stories, and a massive tower. The Astronomical Clock is another interesting feature that encourages the visitors to stand in queues so that they can witness it at the top of the hour when twelve apostles appear in the windows.

The buildings of the Old Town Hall reflect the history of the city, and this is the reason why it oversees innumerous visitors as well as guided tours every year. The visitors of the Old Town Hall further get the benefit of enjoying the enchanting view of Prague from the viewing gallery of the 70-meter high tower. Therefore, these ancient houses are worth a visit for all those who appreciate good architectural buildings, scenic views or have a keen interest in getting to know about the history of Prague.

Old Town Hall Entry Fee and Timings

Tuesday - Sunday : 9 AM to 10 PM
Mondays : 11 AM to 10 PM

Tickets for Old Town Hall

The cost of a basic entrance ticket of the town hall is 250 CZK; while the reduced and family entrance tickets amount up to 150 CZK and 500 CZK. In addition to these, people can now purchase the cheaper mTicket directly from online. These tickets will not only grant them preferential entry so that they don’t have to stand in long queues but they will also receive some bonus downloadable content on their cellphones, that is currently available in 13 languages.

The entrance fee will grant you entry to underground areas of the Town Hall, various historical halls as well as the Chapel of the Virgin Mary. Though, visitors should note that the last entrance is allowed before 30 mins of closing time.

The Horologe of the Old Town Hall

Astronomical Clock in Old Town Hall, Prague — Source

One of the most captivating features of the Old Town Hall is the technological wonder installed in the 1400s - Horloge. This ancient astronomical clock was first launched by the astronomer Jan Šindel and the clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň. Since then, it has been reconstructed several times; with the last major changes made between 1552-1572. The Horlodge constitute of three independent units: the calendar dial, the astronomical dial, and the moving figures. The most ideal time to visit the tower is at the stroke of any hour between 9 AM and 11 PM when twelve apostles appear out of the clock.

Underground Tour of the Old Town Hall

Ghost Tours in the Old Town Hall — Source

Many basements of the large Patrician houses of Prague once used to be the city level which was later increased to prevent flooding. The Old Town Hall is one of those aristocratic houses that has a hidden gem in the form of its cobbled underground chambers that reveal the history of the city. Housing beheading and execution platforms, the history of this site reveal the time when 27 Protestant nobles were beheaded in the Battle of Bílá Hora, that took place in 1621.

One can even witness several cravings here that were carved by the prisoners imprisoned here. The underground of the Old Town Hall is also the site of some ghost tours where the guide relays some of the mysterious legends and horror stories that have been associated with the site.

History of the Old Town Hall

Bought by the Old Town counselor as a massive aristocratic house from the Volfin family in 1338, the Old Town Hall has since then been subjected to expansion and renovation several times. In fact, the Gothic stone portal situated in the western side of the structure that encompasses moldings remains to be the only external remnant of the original buildings. The original Volfin house multiplied in number when the adjoining stone tower was bought, that was one of the highest in the town in the Middle Ages. The Mikeš house, Council Chamber, Cock house, and the Minute house, were further added to the original building in the later years.

The site of the Old Town Hall was further subjected to the destruction caused by the fire in May 1945 due to Prague uprising during World War II. The east and further north wing were heavily damaged due to this fire and were reconstructed in the 19th century.

Architecture of the Old Town Hall

One of the rooms of the Old Town hall located in Czech Republic — Source

The structure of Old Town hall has been exposed to a lot of interior as well as exterior modifications since its establishment. Following the urban architecture of Czech, the arch of the portal of the entrance hall imitates late Gothic style; with archivolts adorned with stone ornaments. The Renaissance style windows, two gigantic mosaics, a bronze statue, and the vault’s ornament depicting some of the major events that took place in the history of the nation, gives a grandeur look to the hall. The interior of the first floor of the Old Town Hall again follows the late Gothic style and mainly encompasses rooms used to host wedding ceremonies.

One of the other major reasons the architecture of the Old Town Hall is greatly admired is the Old council chamber. This chamber stands to be one of the most alluring rooms in the building and covers polychromed wooden coffered ceilings, several significant statues, and walls featuring many emblems, and Gothic wooden paneling.

How To Reach Old Town Hall

While visitors can choose to walk or take a taxi to reach the Old Town Hall, there are many other public transit options that one can make use of like the Bus, Train, Tram, and Subway -

By Bus: The bus lines 176, 194, and 207 stop at Staromestske Namesti, Marianske Namesti, Parizska, and U Stare Skoly bus stations respectively. They are a walking distance from the Town hall.

By Tram: The tram lines 2, 17, and 118 be be used to reach the Staromestska station

By Metro: Metro line A can also be used to reach the Staromestska station.

By Train: The train lines 9855, S34, and S65, and Subway lines A, and B also stop at stations that require a few minutes walk to reach the Old Town Hall.