Tag Archives: Old Clock Tower

Prague, Czechia

Czechia, Travel, , ,

Aug 27 – Easy travels today, from Norfolk to Philly, then a straight shot into Prague. No delays, no drama. The hardest part was trying to convince myself after landing that it was 8am, when my brain knew very well that it was only 2am and I hadn’t had hardly enough sleep. The entry system into Czechia was easy peasy – kiosk for passport, fingerprints and photo, and practically no line for an entry stamp. Good job, Czechia!

Google Maps gave us detailed directions on how to get to our apartment – the #59 bus from the airport to the metro station, then the A train for 7 stops to get us within a few blocks of our place. Our usual concern is how to purchase transit tickets, but with this country’s “old folks ride free” policy, we just hopped aboard!

We were concerned that we were arriving way earlier than the stated check-in time, but thought perhaps we could ask to stash our packs for the morning. Fortunately, the receptionist was there early and let us right in. We dropped gratefully onto our comfy bed for a catch up nap.

We roused ourselves to find some lunch and sunshine (the best way to counteract jet lag). After some burgers and our first local beers, we walked into the Old Town to see what we could see.

Lots of crowds and pretty pastel buildings
Ornate carvings
A colorful mosaic atop a fancy old palace
Lots of statues
…and faces
In the Old Town Square is the Old Town Hall, which boasts an Old Clock Tower containing an astronomical clock that dates back to the year 1410.
The top circle is a form of astrolabe that shows the movements of the sun and moon. The bottom circle is a calendar.
Every hour, the two little doors above the clock open up and the twelve Apostles can be seen (just barely) rotating through the doors. The figures of the Four Despised Things (lust, greed, vanity and death) on either side of the clock do a little shaky dance. Thus endeth our day!