St Nicholas Bell Tower

The Baroque bell-tower, which also served as a fire alarm and clock tower, was built together with the Church of St Nicholas. The building, which replaced the earlier Gothic town bell-tower, was designed and built by the influential architect Kilián lgnác Dientzenhofer. His pupil and son-in-law Anselmo Lurago only modified a portion of the interiors. The tower was built in 1739. It was not fully completed until 1755. →

Two years later, the building was damaged, during the Prussian siege of Prague.  Although at first glance it may seem that the tower belongs with the church of St Nicholas, it was never an ecclesiastical property, but always a secular municipal property of the Lesser Town of Prague. The height of the tower is the same as the height of the adjacent church dome – 79m, the gallery is 65m off the ground, 215 steps up. Running up the entire solid construction is a spiral staircase, mostly brick, timber-framed only in the uppermost section. In addition to the staircase and roof truss, the building also comprises several rooms, serving as the towerman’s abode and office. 
Among the interesting aspects of this important monument are the singular black kitchen (the only accessible one in Prague), the Baroque sewer system and the bell of St Nicholas dating from 1576. 
Starting in the 1960s, true to the then regime’s practices, the tower came to stand for something else – being a secret police observation centre, for monitoring the surrounding embassies (notably the American, German and British ones). 
In the tower, visitors will get acquainted with the demanding life of the towermen – the city’s sentries, the history of the building and the misuse of the monument during the Communist. More information can be found here.

Services on offer

Inspection tours

  • Individual tour of the historic tower with a view from the gallery and a tour of the “Custos Turris” permanent exposition, without need of prior booking
  • Guided tours of the tower or special-occasion events

Renting the property

  • Unconventional tours of the tower outside opening hours
  • Private tours of the tower for corporate events or individuals
  • Special tours for school groups or special-interest groups
  • Weddings
  • Rental of the tower for the purpose of holding private events (corporate meetings, events for the professional public, etc.)

Opening hours

January – March 26: Mon - Sun 10.00 am - 6.00 pm
March 27 - May: Mon - Sun 10.00 am - 7.00 pm
June - September: Mon - Sun 9.00 am - 8.30 pm
October - November: Mon - Sun 10.00 am - 6.00 pm
December: Mon - Sun 10.00 am - 7.30 pm

Admission

basic | reduced | family: CZK 190 | CZK 130 | CZK 380
Lítačka card holder: CZK 170
Multi-ticket "9 objects in 365 days": CZK 990 | CZK 690 |  –  |
Early Bird Discount initiative: 50% off the admission fee every day during the first hour after opening
10% discount on admission when buying an eTicket online

Free admission for children under 5. The reduced admission fee is intended for children aged 6-15, students under 26, seniors over 65, and holders of disability identification card ZTP. The family ticket is valid for 2 adults and up to 4 children.

Contacts

Malostranské náměstí 29
Praha 1 - Malá Strana

General information

Rentals, events

Operations manager