Old Town Hall Prague - History

Old Town Hall Prague History

Old Town Hall Prague was established in 1338 during the reign of King John of Luxemburg, who took the Bohemian throne after marrying Elizabeth of the Premyslid dynasty. The first house of the Prague City Hall is located directly next to the Old Town Hall Tower. It is called Volfin's House, after its owner, and its original building barely reached the nowadays ground level. It was a stone house with one set of stairs and the arcade of stalls on its western side, which is now part of the house with a speaking name "Western" from the second half of the 14th century. The 70m tall Old Town Hall Tower was built in 1364 for public announcements. It is famous for the Astronomical Clock and a great view over the UNESCO historical center and the Old Town Square. 

Prague's Old Town Hall expanded to the mid19th century, gaining three more houses on the south, and a large northern wing, which was torn down in 1838 and replaced with a neo-Gothic one ten years later. The architect of this ambitious project was a Viennese citizen, Pietro di Nobile, whose work, rumor has it, was greatly criticized by Praguers. However, the neo-Gothic Town Hall did not survive for long, as it was destroyed during the Czech National uprising against Nazi Germany in May 1945 and never rebuilt.

Prague Old Town Hall Opening Hours and Entrance Tickets

• It is possible to visit Prague's Old Town Hall every day from 9 AM till 7 PM.
• The Old Town Hall Tower is opened till 10 pm (the last admission is at 9:20).
• The entrance ticket costs 10 euro and includes not only the visit to the Old Town Hall tower and interiors but also the guided tour! The tour will also bring you to the Romanesque Underground, a one-of-a-kind experience of Medieval Prague. 
• The official operator of the Town Hall is Prague City Tourism Agency.

Our Local Guide Tip

• For all the wheelchair users, we recommend contacting the Old Town Hall Supervisor (phone number +420 775 400 052, email oldtownhall@prague.eu) before your visit, since not all the parts of the Prague City Hall are accessible. 
• Multiple companies resell the entrance tickets to the Old Town Hall, but not all of them include a guided tour in the price. Make sure to check it before your purchase. 
• There is often a line to the Old Town Hall Tower, so we recommend getting an electronic ticket for a specific time slot that will allow you to skip the line. You can get it on the Prague City Tourism Online Shop. It is also 40 CZK cheaper and includes the guided tour of the Old Town Hall interiors as well as the Medieval Underground passages. 
• You can get a discount on Old Town Hall tickets purchased between 9 am and 10 am daily except Monday. Bargain! 

See more of our Prague Travel Tips. 

Author: Valeriia Zahradnikova and Vaclav Zahradnik, Prague guides certified by Prague City Tourism agency. Valeriia and Vaclav have worked in tourism for over 6 years and have guided thousands of Prague visitors.