"According to which time in Prague was determined"

 Prague Meridian (14°25´17˝) - Old Town Square

 Can you spot the Meridian in Old Town Square?

The need to tell time accurately is much older than the widespread use of clocks; also it took a while before clocks could read time accurately.  In order to determine when midday was, the so-called Prague Meridian was used from 1652 and indicated the place where the former Marian column used to cast its shadow at noon (there was no concept of summer and winter time back then).  

Marian Column

Built in Old Town Square shortly after the Thirty Years' War in thanksgiving to the Virgin Mary Immaculate for helping in the fight with the Swedes.  Unfortunately, many Czechs later connected its placement and erection with the hegemony of the Habsburgs in their country, and after declaring the independence of Czechoslovakia in 1918 a crowd of people pulled this old monument down and destroyed it in an excess of revolutionary fervor.

Accurate Prague time (Tempus Pragense) was in reality determined in the Astronomical tower of Clementinum using a chink sundial.  From 1842, noontime  was announced by waving a flag.  Between 1891 and the 1920s, it was also accompanied by a shot from a cannon located in the castle bastion.  After 1928, the astronomical recordings were moved to a new observatory in Ondřejov but the time announcement service remained in the tower until the occupation.  From 1925, the Clementinum observatory provided a time signal for radio broadcasting.  The time difference between what was recorded at the Clementinum observatory and the Meridian marked out by the shadow of the Marian Column was a mere one second and hence completely negligible in daily life. 

Placed here in the 1900s, the plate reads, "MERIDIAN, ACCORDING TO WHICH TIME IN PRAGUE WAS DETERMINED"

The highest belfry in Prague...any guesses?

Just when I thought I've been to every historical monument in Prague, I stumble upon one that I somehow overlooked.  How does one overlook the highest belfry in Prague?!?

Gothic Jindřišska věž is located on Jindřišskou street, which has connected three Prague squares since the 14th-century - Wenceslas, Charles and Senovážné.  

The tower itself was built during the years 1472-1475 next to the Church of St. Henry and Cunigunde...the clock was added in 1577.  There are many bells in the tower, but the oldest and most famed one is named Maria (made in 1518) and weighs 723kg.  She's preserved to this day and can be seen in the tower's restaurant.  Every day at 9 am, 12 noon, 3 pm and 6 pm, you will hear the bells play (not the original bells) one of 1,152 melodies.

Zvonice restaurant occupies the 7th, 8th and 9th floors and is adorned with original wood from the belfry, original brick walls, gothic windows, as well as the bell Maria.  

The 10th floor is the bell tower itself, one that feels like a specious old attic with spectacular views of Prague Castle and the city center.  And for those of you who avoid such towers due to their abundance of stairs, you'll be glad to know that Jindřišska has an elevator!  Pass it up though...because if you don't you'll miss one of the most unique things about the tower - a  new tower was built inside the shell of the old one.  When you step inside, you'll find yourself in a tower within a tower!  You can see the inside of the old shell in some places along the staircase, if you walk, that is.

Beautiful views from the tower...

View of The Church of Our Lady before Týn

View of Senovážné Square

Don't skip the 1st floor though.  It may seem like a simple café, and surely coffee is good, but coffee with a side of cognac is even better!  This café is also where you'll find a most comprehensive collection of single malt Scotch whiskey, and a large selection of cognacs, rums, wines and cigars.  But shhh...don't tell anyone, it's not touristy and we like it that way.

And just how high is the tower?  67.7 meters to be exact.

Getting here:

Jindřišska is walking distance from Wenceslas Square, but you can also get there via metro (A or B line to Mustek, or C line to Muzuem.  Via tram, take either the 3, 9, 14 or 24 to Jindřišska.

"What the heck is that thing?"

Whenever I'm in Prague with someone who's visiting for the first time I know I'm bound to hear, "What the heck is that thing?"  That "thing" they refer to is this...

This "thing" is the Prague Metronome, which was designed by international artist Vratislav Novak.  It was erected in 1991 and stands on a platform left vacant after the 1962 destruction of an enormous monument to former Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin.

The Stalin Monument

The 75-foot-tall Metronome is part of our landscape now and a meeting place for young folk.  The area behind the Metronome is a famous skate park where skateboarders from around the world meet and film.

Metronome is situated in Letna Park and can be reached by walking across the Stefaniku Bridge from the main city area.