Prague is home to the world’s oldest working astronomical clock. It was installed in the Old Town Square in 1410 and consists of four main parts: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and the phases of the Moon; statues of Catholic saints on either side; the “The Walk of the Apostles”, which strikes the time on the hour and shows the 12 Apostles as well as other figures, such as a skeleton representing the time of death approaching; and a calendar dial representing the the day of the month, the day of the week, feast days and the 12 signs of the Zodiak.
The legend
The clock was created by the world famous clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň. He was approached by many foreign governments to build them a similar clock. Legend has it, Prague councilmen were fearful that he might make a bigger, more beautiful clock for another nation.
So, they blinded him.
In this tale, he was driven mad by his blindness and threw himself into his masterpiece, ultimately clogging the gears with his body and ending his life. By doing this, the story goes, the clock became cursed and all those who tried to fix it would go insane or would die.
In reality, the clock has been restored a handful of times since it was installed, with the last restoration in 2022 causing a bit of controversy.
When you visit
Prague is a fascinating city for worldschooling families to explore. You’ll have plenty of museums, art galleries, and castles to choose from as you wonder around the city learning fascinating history from the Middle Ages to the Cold War.
Be sure to stop by the Old Town Square on the hour to see the Walk of the Apostles. There are free walking tours of the area and don’t forget to climb the clock tower to see an amazing view of the city!