The impressive Old Town Hall building, with the world famous Astronomical Clock on its south side, dates back to 1338.
It is located on the southeast corner of the Old Town Square in the very center of the city and is one of the main attractions in Prague. Its tower offers the best view over Prague.
Today, the Town Hall serves representative purposes and as a setting for various cultural events. Wedding couples like to have their pictures taken here.
The Tourist Information Center is also located in the Town Hall.
What Can I Do at the City Hall?
Admission, Tickets, and Guided Tours
How Do I Get to the Old Town Hall?
The Old Town Hall is located in the very center of Prague.
The Old Town Hall can be reached by Metro A, green line, Staroměstská stop, which means "Old Town."
History of the Old Town Hall
When King John of Bohemia allowed the citizens to build a town hall in 1338, they financed it from the wine tax.
The Old Town Court had its seat here, and in 1458 George of Podebrady was elected as the king of the Kingdom of Bohemia here. 27 Crosses in the pavement commemorate the Bohemian rebels executed in front of the Town Hall in 1621. However, the Old Town Town Hall gained its greatest importance in the 18th century, when in 1784 it became the administrative seat of the four previously independent Prague towns of Old Town, New Town, Lesser Town, and Hradcany.
In the various historical halls in the Town Hall, the Council Hall from the 15th century with its richly painted coffered ceiling is the oldest. In the past, the city council and the city court met here. The largest hall is the so-called Brožík Hall.
Since 1945, the town hall no longer served as such. A cross made of burnt beams in the basement is supposed to commemorate the last days of the Second World War, when the Old Town Hall was severely damaged.
Under the town hall are catacombs, which once served as a warehouse and prison and can be visited today on a guided tour.