Kryštofovo Údolí astronomical clock, Modern astronomical clock in Kryštofovo Údolí, Czech Republic.
The Kryštofovo Údolí astronomical clock displays moving figures in two windows that appear hourly, depicting scenes with twelve apostles and other characters. The mechanism is visible from outside and reveals the craftsmanship involved in its construction.
Martin Chaloupka began building the clock in 2006 in a former electrical substation in Kryštofovo Údolí; it was inaugurated on 20 September 2008 and completed in 2011, when the lunar-phase and zodiac mechanisms entered service. In 2023 Chaloupka's daughter Alice Chmelíková moved it to the former fire station in Žibřidice.
The figures were carved from lime wood by Liberec artist Václav Plechatý, and patrons sponsored individual statues: actress Jiřina Bohdalová, presenter Marcela Augustová and ex-mayor Jiří Kittner among them. The apostles file past hourly from 8:00 to 22:00, opened by a night watchman with a trumpet and his dog.
The best view of the mechanism happens from outside, especially around the hour when the figures move. The location is easily accessible on foot and provides enough space to watch the daily spectacle.
The clock was deliberately installed inside an old electrical building that once managed power for the village. This makes it a rare fusion of industrial heritage and modern astronomical artwork.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,144 contributors worldwide.