Old Town Hall

The Town Hall was built in 1338, when the inhabitants of the Old Town received a privilege from the governor to establish it as a symbol of the city’s self-government.

After the Battle of White Mountain, 27 leaders of the revolt against the Habsburgs were executed here. The bloody ceremony took place on 21 June 1621 and the place is marked with 27 crosses in the pavement.

In 1784, Prague‘s quarters were united and the Town Hall become the Main Town Hall. Since 1872 weddings have been held here.

The bombing on 7th May 1945 set the building on fire. One of the wings, where Prague’s archive was located, was destroyed. Today you can only see a small fragment of the neo-Gothic wing.

The historical core of the Town Hall is the building with the Gothic portal and flags (to the left of the Old Town Hall Tower). This is the Wolfin House, built in the 13th century. The Council Chamber from the 15th century is considered one of the most interesting rooms in the building.

In the second half of the 14th century, a 70 meter tall tower was built as a symbol of the city’s wealth and importance.

Now let’s look more closely at the buildings to the left of the tower (in order):

The first one (red facade) has the coat of arms of the Old Town with the inscription „Praga kaput regni“, which translates to „Prague is the head of the kingdom“. It was built in the 15th century and today it hosts weddings. It also has 19 coats of arms, most likely the heraldic insignia of city officials.

The next house (beige) has the coat of arms of the Old Town from the 15th century. The last one (the narrowest) is called the Rooster’s House, its ground floor dates back to 1200s.

All these building used to be merchant houses in the past and have preserved their unique interiors.

The Town Hall is open to the public. On the ground floor of the building with red facade you’ll find the information centre.