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The Old Town Hall was established in 1338 as
the seat of the Old Town administration . The
oldest part of the complex consists of a
beautiful Gothic tower with a bay chapel and
a unique astronomical clock – known as the
Orloj – where , every hour between 9 am and 11
pm , the twelve apostles appear . The Gothic
Revival eastern wing of the Town Hall was
destroyed during the Prague Uprising on May
8 , 1945 and was never rebuilt . The guided tour
includes the historical halls , the tower and
the underground areas .
The parade of the Apostles is visible from the
Old Town Square . If you want to see them
better , we recommend you to buy a ticket to
the Old Town Hall , where you can admire
them from the tower ´ s chapel .
The astronomical clock was placed at the
front side of the tower in 1410 . At the southern
part of the tower a special stone chamber was
built for its mechanical part . The astronomical
clock consists of different parts – such as a
calendar and an astronomical desk or the
mechanism of twelve apostles which sets
them in motion .
During the apostles ’ parade , other figures
placed on the sides of the astronomical clock
set in motion too . The skeleton rings , rotates
an hourglass in order to show to the Turk that
his lifetime is at the end . He shakes his head .
The Vain Man and the Miser behave similarly .