The Story of the Astronomical Clock

Just about everyone who visits the “City of a Hundred Spires” knows that there’s an astronomical clock in the middle of Prague’s Old Town Square. Few Praguers, however, realize that just a few steps away, in the Municipal Library building, another one-of-a-kind technological marvel has been in operation for a hundred years—the mechanical puppet theater known as the Kingdom of Puppets. Now imagine the story of the Astronomical Clock coming to life right on its stage. The result is a unique spectacle that connects two remarkable Prague landmarks.

Who hasn’t heard of the Astronomical Clock? The ancient timepiece features Death ringing a bell and the twelve apostles, who peek out at crowds of tourists from two blue windows every hour. The Astronomical Clock is a technological marvel—the oldest computer in Central Europe. Since 1409, using the same mechanics and settings, it has shown not only the exact time but also the movement of the Sun, the Moon, and the constellations in the Prague sky.

At the same time, the Astronomical Clock is a guardian of time—a silent witness to history, much of which unfolded in its immediate vicinity.

As a visitor, you’ll have the opportunity to experience a “unique within a unique”—the one-of-a-kind story of an extraordinary machine in the setting of an extraordinary theater.

You’ll experience magical Prague, full of secrets, in a theater where the age-old magic of puppetry comes to life and where reality blends with fantasy and legends.

You’ll see puppet theater in many styles and forms: shadow puppets, marionettes, and hand puppets. The full richness of the Czech puppetry tradition in fifty minutes. Puppets that are both spooky and comical, trick puppets, wooden puppets, transparent puppets, and even invisible ones.

The Story of the Astronomical Clock—Guardian of Time—in the Realm of Puppets.

A visual puppet production that speaks the universal language of images and music, making it fully accessible to audiences from around the world, from the youngest children to adults.

Recommended age: 6+

No language barrier