Repairs of the Old Town Hall will begin in February, the astronomical clock in a year

Prague - Repairs of the Old Town Hall will begin no earlier than next month. The scaffolding will not restrict the view of the astronomical clock, which is among the most sought-after monuments in the metropolis. This technical monument will be transported for restoration in February 2018. In response to a query from ČTK, Prague City Tourism spokesperson Barbora Hrubá said today.

According to the spokesperson of the Prague City Hall, Vít Hofman, the repairs could start in February. "In the initial phases of the reconstruction, the scaffolding will be bridged, meaning it will be normally visible and operational," added Hrubá. During the repairs, the city plans to replace the astronomical clock with at least video mapping on the scaffolding or in a similar way. It should be restarted in June next year.

The repair, costing over 46 million crowns, awaits the entire tower of the Old Town Hall; tourists will not be able to access the gallery. The tower was last repaired in the 1980s. The monument is among the most visited in Prague, with 700,000 people visiting the town hall tower annually. Many others, however, do not go up the tower and only observe the astronomical clock from the outside.

The Old Town Hall in Prague was established in 1338. It consists of a complex of several houses. In the 20th century, several architectural competitions were announced for the reconstruction and completion of the town hall. Most aimed to fill the space left by the demolished neo-Gothic wing. However, all ended either without winners or the winning designs were never realized.