Astronomical Clock Orloj: when the apostles come out and how much the climb costs
The Prague astronomical clock strikes every hour. Ten minutes before the show, the square in front of the tower is already packed, and the show itself lasts less than a minute. Many people travel across the entire city to get here and leave disappointed. To avoid that, it's worth knowing the apostles' schedule, the price of going up the tower, and the spot from which the show is best seen.
The Orloj can do more than an ordinary tower clock. It tracks four time systems at once and has been running for over six hundred years. Below is the show schedule, ticket price, the route from the metro, and the history of a mechanism that survived the fire of 1945.
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History of the Orloj astronomical clock
💡 In short:
- The apostles appear in the tower windows every hour, and the show is free to watch from the square.
- Buy your ticket for the tower and historic interiors in advance, the day before your trip.
- Metro A to Staroměstská station, then a few minutes on foot across Old Town Square.
- Prices and opening hours: 09/2026, verified on the official website
© Ray Swi-hymn from Sijhih-Taipei, Taiwan · CC BY-SAPhoto: Ray Swi-hymn from Sijhih-Taipei, Taiwan, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), Wikimedia CommonsThe first mention of a clock on the tower dates back to 1402. The current astronomical dial appeared in 1410: it was built by clockmaker Mikuláš z Kadaň, probably together with astronomer Jan Šindel (as of 09/2026, Czech Wikipedia). Around 1470 the tower received stone and sculptural decoration, and in 1490 the mechanism was rebuilt by clockmaker Hanuš.
A well-known legend is connected with Hanuš. According to it, he was the creator of the Orloj, and the city authorities blinded the master so that he could not repeat the work in another city. Historians reject this version: the clock is older than the master, and Hanuš himself only maintained and improved the mechanism (as of 09/2026, orloj.eu).
The clock was looked after by the city clockmaker, but stoppages happened regularly. Sometimes the mechanism fell silent by order of the king, sometimes it broke down on its own. The hardest trial came on May 8, 1945, when the Old Town Hall caught fire during the Prague Uprising. The eastern wing of the building was never restored, and the Orloj was returned to the tower after a lengthy restoration (as of 09/2026, Prague City Tourism). Most of the parts were reassembled from surviving pieces, and the mechanism still works to this day.
The astronomical dial and statues
The Orloj dial works as an astronomical instrument, not as decoration. It tracks time in four systems at once, and each has its own ring.
Measurement | Ring on the dial | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
Old Czech time | outer ring with Schwabacher numerals | the day, which began at sunset |
Central European time | second ring with Roman numerals | the familiar time in Prague |
Babylonian time | third ring with Arabic numerals | the daylight part of the day |
Sidereal time | star hand | time by the stars |
Position of the Sun | zodiac ring around the blue circle | the constellation in which the Sun stands |
Around the dial stand twelve animals, real and imaginary. Each one is there for a reason, and many figures served a protective role. On the sides you will see four sculptures: a magician, a miser, a skeleton, and a Turk. They personify human vices, and the skeleton with a bell reminds us of the fleeting nature of time.
© Ray Swi-hymn from Sijhih-Taipei, Taiwan · CC BY-SAPhoto: Ray Swi-hymn from Sijhih-Taipei, Taiwan, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), Wikimedia CommonsThe lower dial bears the Manes calendar, and around it also stand four figures: the Archangel Michael, a philosopher, a chronicler, and an astronomer. The upper windows open every hour, and the apostles pass through them one by one together with Christ. The show lasts less than a minute, but thousands of people come to the square for it.
Tickets, opening hours, and going up the tower
Access to the tower is open daily, but the schedule depends on the season. From April through December, the tower and historic interiors are open from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM; from January through March, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and the apostles appear every hour until 11:00 PM (as of 09/2026, Prague City Tourism). An adult ticket costs 350 crowns, about €13. During the first hour after opening, the ticket office offers a 50% discount, meaning 175 crowns, so it pays to arrive first thing in the morning (as of 09/2026, Prague City Tourism).
© ŠJů · CC BYPhoto: ŠJů, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), Wikimedia CommonsOfficial tower tickets are sold only by Prague City Tourism. The price includes the observation deck, the Chapel of the Virgin Mary, the ceremonial halls, and the Romanesque-Gothic cellars. You can climb on foot via the spiral staircase or take the elevator, and from the top you will see the entire center of Prague with its red roofs.
The apostles show is watched from the square, and no ticket is needed for it. If you want to go up the tower without waiting in line, book tower and interiors tickets with a specific time slot in advance.
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Where it is and how to get there
The Orloj stands on Old Town Square, on the tower of the Old Town Hall. The nearest metro station is called Staroměstská, line A. From the metro exit to the tower is about 300 m, a four-minute walk. Trams and buses stop nearby, and you can check current routes in the DPP schedule (as of 09/2026).
If you are coming from Charles Bridge, stay on Karlova Street and do not turn off toward Wenceslas Square. From Wenceslas Square, the walk takes about ten minutes, and along the way you will pass through the shopping arcades of the Old Town.
Orloj clock on the map
Below is a point on the map: the tower stands in the eastern part of the square, between the narrow streets of the Old Town and Týn Court. For navigation, use the address Staroměstské náměstí 1.
© Andrew Milligan sumo · CC BYPhoto: Andrew Milligan sumo, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), Wikimedia Commons⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions
When do the apostles come out of the tower windows?
The show runs every hour, with the last appearance in the evening, around eleven. The figures pass in a circle in under a minute, but the crowd gathers early, so get to the square ten minutes ahead. You can watch for free, no ticket is needed.
How much does it cost to go up the tower?
An adult ticket costs 350 CZK, about thirteen euros (as of 09/2026, Prague City Tourism). In the first hour after opening, the ticket office sells discounted tickets, so early morning is better both for price and for the length of the line. Check the exact price and time slot on the official website before your trip.
What does the astronomical dial show?
It tracks four time systems at once: Old Czech Time, Central European Time, sidereal time, and Babylonian time. Each one lives on its own ring, which is why the dial looks so complex. Roman numerals show the time you are used to, and the zodiac ring indicates which constellation the Sun is in.
Is it true that the maker was blinded?
No, that is a popular legend. It came from literary adaptations of old tales, and historians consider it unreliable: the clock was built before Hanuš lived, and he could only have worked on improving the mechanism. Documents name the clockmaker Mikuláš z Kadaň and the astronomer Jan Šindel as the authors.
Can you see the Orloj for free?
Yes. The apostle show itself is visible from Old Town Square, and you do not need a ticket for it. You only pay to go up the tower and see the historic interiors of the town hall. Arrive ten minutes before the hour to get a spot near the tower.
In short: what is worth booking
The Orloj operates year-round, but the experience depends on preparation. If you are short on time, arrive at the top of the hour, watch the apostles from the square, and leave: the show lasts less than a minute. If you want to see Prague from above, get a morning ticket and go up in the first hour after opening.
- show only: arrive at the top of the hour, no ticket needed;
- city view and town hall interiors: tower ticket with a time slot;
- seasonal morning: the discount applies in the first hour after opening.
A small editorial team writing guides for independent travel. We travel ourselves, but we haven’t been everywhere, so we check prices, opening hours and how to get there against official sources.