Prague’s Old Town Astronomical Clock

The Astronomical Clock, or Orloj as it’s called there, is a popular attraction in the Old Town of Prague. Every hour during the day (it is silenced at night), its animated decorations do their show. The twelve apostles each turn and look out one of two windows near the top of the clock. Other figures in the surface of the clock are also animated. Death, represented by a skeleton, rings a bell for each hour directly to the right of the clock, while other figures nod.

There is a legend that the man who designed the clock was blinded after building the clock. Supposedly, local officials feared him making an even more extravagant clock. The clock has been around since the 14th century.

The clock not only shows the time, but the sunrise, sunset, twilight, the day of the year, and the zodiac. There are 3 dials, as the clock measures three separate time options (Old Czech time, Central European Time, and the most unusual Babylonian time, where the length of an hour depends on the season).