In my opinion every city is defined by a few representative tourist attractions. If I had to thing about Prague, one of these tourist attractions would definitely be the Astronomical Clock.
Situated in the Old Town Square, on the southern wall of the Old Town Hall, this medieval clock is the most famous attraction in Prague. This makes sense if we take into account the fact that this astronomical clock is considered to be the best preserved medieval clock in the world, the third-oldest clock and also the oldest one that still works. These aspects mean a lot, don’t they?
I must say that I liked this clock very much and it is actually my second favorite tourist attraction in Prague after Charles Bridge. The exterior of the clock is decorated with Gothic sculptures and a variety of royal symbols. The clock face is designed in detail and the most important astronomical events are represented there: the movement of the sun, the phases of the moon, the equinoxes, the seasons, the days and the zodiacal signs.
But the beauty of this clock is not given only by its interesting exterior embellished with symbols. In my opinion the ritual that takes place every hour is what makes this tourist attraction really special and appreciated. Every hour the two windows of the clock open and the tourists have the chance to admire the 12 Apostles who come at the window and perform a blessing ritual of the city. The exterior sculptures seem to be an important part of this act because they start moving during this blessing ritual.
When the Apostles finish their blessing, the little golden rooster situated at the top of the clock start crowing, a bell rings and the hour changes. As I have already said, this interesting ritual is what makes this clock really special. This is the reason why you will see crowds of people gathered in front of the clock and waiting for this ritual every hour.
So, be a part of the crowd and immortalize the moment by taking a lot of pictures! I have no doubt that if you get to the Old Town Square in Prague, you will be fascinated by this Astronomical Clock.
