Radnice (Town Hall)

Radnice (Town Hall) Review

Olomouc's central square is marked by the bright, spire-bedecked Renaissance town hall with its 220-foot tower. The tower was constructed in the late 14th century. The astronomical clock on the outside was built in 1422, and once rivaled the one in Prague. It was mostly destroyed by an artillery shell on the last two days of World War II. The modern socialist-realist mosaic decorations of the current clock date from 1955. Be sure to look inside the town hall at the beautiful stairway. You can also visit a large Gothic banquet room in the main building, with scenes from the city's history, and a late-Gothic chapel. Tours of the tower and chapel are given several times daily; contact the tourist office in the town hall.