Hotels near Old Town Hall Tower

The Old Town Hall Tower rises about 70 metres above the Old Town Square Christmas market and gives the best overview of the stalls, the tree and the spires of the Týn Church. A lift takes you most of the way up, which makes it far easier than most church towers, and the gallery runs right round the top.

Below the tower is the Prague Astronomical Clock (Pražský orloj), first installed in 1410 and one of the oldest working astronomical clocks in the world. Every hour from 9am to 11pm, the figures of the twelve apostles appear in the windows above the dial, drawing a crowd that fills the square in front.

Seeing the market from above makes it easier to plan a route through the stalls, and the view at dusk, as the tree lights come on, is one of the best of the Prague Christmas season.

Pro Tip: Go up in the last hour of daylight, around 3.30pm in December, and stay until the tree lights come on. Watch the clock's hourly show from the tower base before or after, not during, your visit up.