UBC July 2026 - Astronomical Clock

In daily life, my schedule is largely dictated by others. I have to be at work, at the hairdresser’s, or at the doctor’s at specific times. At the office, job applicants, customers, and suppliers arrive for appointments. My son’s hockey practice starts right on time, and anyone who is late has to pay a small fine into the team fund. Even the opening hours of grocery stores or banks shape our routines. Swiss public transportation is world renowned for its punctuality, so if you are even half a minute late, you are out of luck.

During the holidays, however, things become much more relaxed, apart from departure times and breakfast buffet hours. Eventually, your rumbling stomach reminds you that it might be a good idea to find a place for lunch.

At least, that is how we like to travel. We take each day as it comes and wander from one sight to the next without much planning. Other tourists, on the other hand, follow a very tight schedule. After all, they have to check off all the important “must sees” 😉 They book walking tours, guided visits to churches or castles, or even medieval dinner experiences.

Ironically, one of Prague’s most famous sights is all about time itself.

Installed in 1410, Prague’s Astronomical Clock is the oldest astronomical clock of its kind still in operation. Every hour from 9am to 9pm, visitors - lots of them - gather to watch the mechanical procession of the Twelve Apostles appear above the clock face.

An astronomical clock is far more than a simple timepiece. These fascinating creations display not only the time, but also astronomical information such as the position of the sun and moon, the zodiac constellations, and sometimes even the visible planets. Medieval clocks like the one in Prague or the astronomical clock in Exeter Cathedral functioned almost like primitive planetariums, reflecting humanity’s understanding of the universe centuries ago.

Beyond their scientific function, these clocks were also public works of art and symbols of knowledge and craftsmanship. Their intricate systems of gears and rotating discs could track celestial movements in real time without electricity. They showed solar time, lunar phases, the sun’s position in the zodiac, and sometimes even sidereal time based on the stars.

Interestingly, astronomical clocks also reveal the strange relationship modern society has with time. Because they are based on the actual position of the sun, they do not automatically align with daylight saving time. During the summer months, when our watches “spring forward” by one hour, the astronomical clock effectively appears to run one hour behind civilian time. When the sun reaches its highest point in the sky at true noon, our watches already read 1 p.m.

That made me wonder why telling time was considered so important in medieval times in the first place.

Apparently, back then, timekeeping was essential for religious, agricultural, and later economic reasons. Monastic communities needed to know the exact times for their daily prayers, which structured the entire day. As cities grew and trade became more important, merchants and craftsmen also needed reliable ways to regulate working hours and business activities. Society gradually shifted from following the rhythm of natural daylight to following the clock.

So perhaps people have always tried to make the most of the twenty four hours in a day.

As for us, we felt that we used our time in Prague rather well precisely because we did not schedule every moment. Sometimes the best travel experiences happen when you simply wander and allow the city to surprise you.

How about you? Do you prefer a carefully planned itinerary when exploring a new place, or do you like to discover things spontaneously?