Old Town Hall (Staroměstská radnice)
Old Town Hall (Staroměstská radnice) is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Prague audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~45 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Prague Prague guide
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About Old Town Hall (Staroměstská radnice)
Prague's medieval town hall, founded in 1338 and famous for its clock tower; its neo-Gothic wing burned in 1945 and is now a lawn recalling the war.
Prague's Old Town Hall dates from 1338, when King John of Luxembourg granted the Old Town the right to its own seat of government. Rather than build anew, the town gradually absorbed a row of adjoining Gothic and Renaissance houses, so the complex is really several buildings joined into one. Its landmark tower rises about seventy metres and carries the famous astronomical clock on its southern face, while a Gothic oriel chapel projects over the square.
In the final days of the Second World War, on 8 May 1945, German incendiary fire gutted the hall's neo-Gothic eastern wing during the Prague Uprising. The ruin was demolished and never rebuilt; the open lawn on the northern side now marks the loss. The surviving tower, council chambers, chapel and medieval cellars were restored and remain open to visitors as one of Prague's most important historic civic buildings.
Did you know? The Old Town Hall is not one building but several: founded in 1338, it expanded over the centuries by swallowing neighbouring Gothic and Renaissance houses and joining them into a single civic complex.
How long should you spend at Old Town Hall (Staroměstská radnice)?
Plan about ~45 min at Old Town Hall (Staroměstská radnice). That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Old Town Hall (Staroměstská radnice) worth visiting?
Old Town Hall (Staroměstská radnice) is one of the 35 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Prague, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Prague
Day 2 of the Prague in 2 days itinerary →Day 3 of the Prague in 3 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Old Town Hall (Staroměstská radnice)
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