As you stroll through the streets of the famous city of Prague, you will get a lot of attention. Street vendors will all be hawking their goods at the top of their lungs in order to attract you to their wares. People will be strolling alongside you accompanied by the constant chatter filling the air. Suddenly you will notice that the noise level begins to subside and the attention of the people is being diverted to the tower of the town hall. There are two blue windows that begin to slide open. Figures emerge two by two representing Christ’s apostles come out. The leader is holding a large key.
What you have just observed is Prague’s famed astronomical clock, one of the most famous attractions of the Czech Republic. This event happens at the top of every hour from eight in the morning until eight in the evening. These mechanical figurines spring to life with amazing regularity. The display of the apostles is not the only parade of figures you will witness. Each hour the figures of the most feared people or events will parade out of the clock tower windows. You will see the Miser showing the greed of many. At another hour you will observe Vanity admiring himself in the mirror. Death also takes a turn at the window followed by the Turk who represents invasion.
A main focus for tourists that are traveling in the area is to watch the moving figures carefully. But the true draw of the clock is its astronomical dial. The outer ring of the clock is divided into 24 hour sections beginning at sundown. The ring always rings on the 24th hour at the exact time that sundown occurs no matter what time of year it is.
Inside the ring is the Roman numeral division. This divides the day into two 12-hour time periods. Noon is at the top and midnight is at the bottom. The golden hands tell us the time of day it is.
But that’s not all there is to this world famous clock. An astronomical dial and a small sphere tells the path of the sun and the different phases of the moon. The rotation of the constellations in the night sky is also detailed among other things. This astronomical clock has been one of the most popular tourist attractions in Prague since its creation all the way back to the 15th Century and with all of its intricate details you could be occupied for quite some time.
But if the intricacies of this very elaborately detailed clock are not enough to engage your fancy then you might want to visit the location of the Lennon Wall. Located in Mala Strana district, near the French Embassy until around the 1980’s when people began to cover it with graffiti and lyrics all inspired by the Beatles songs.
Before the end of the 80s communism was the power to reckon with and the authorities banned western music. Since the music of John Lennon promoted freedom it was considered illegal to listen to it. At the death of Lennon in 1980 he became a popular icon for the youth at the time. People started by painting his picture on the wall and over the years since then they have dedicated the wall to him with all sorts of graffiti and writings in his honor. The wall has been whitewashed several times and some taggers have even been jailed for their actions but the wall has survived in spite of the government’s threats.
A visit to the Civic Square will provide you with a connection to the Czech culture and the location of many public demonstrations. Here in the heart of New Town plenty of places to explore the history of the country. You can take walking tours from this point to just about any of the wonderful sights of Prague.
A must see is a visit to Prague Castle. Ranked number one in the Guiness Book of Records is not the real attraction of this amazing structure. The complex has been the home of many Kings, Queens and Presidents of the country. The entire complex encompasses more than eighteen buildings that include palaces, churches, halls and towers. You can wander through their beautiful gardens. There are eight of them and immerse yourself in the rich tales of life long past.
The city of Prague is a city of unparalled beauty and style. Whether you will visit for a day, a week or a month you will not be able to see and enjoy everything the city has to offer. When you are there you can’t help but to stop and let time catch up with you.