Orloj Martina Chaloupky

Czechia is full of astronomical clocks, most famously the Prague Astronomical Clock. Unlike the centuries-old clocks in Prague and Olomouc, this clock in the Kryštofovo Valley, is a rather unusual astronomical clock, largely because it is practically brand new.

Originally located in the tower of a former substation, the clock was built under the direction of a local man, Martin Chaloupka, in 2006. Local craftsmen and mechanics all worked with Chaloupka to make his idea a reality. Powered by an electric motor, the clock has two windows with twelve circulating apostles and other figures that come alive as the clock chimes on the hour.

Chaloupka continued to expand his creation over the years. In 2011, it became a fully fledged astronomical observatory when he added a device showing the phases of the Moon and the signs of the Zodiac.

After Martin Chaloupka died, his daughter Alice Chmelíková took over the operation of the astronomical clock. In 2023, she moved the structure to a new location in the village of Žibřidice, where it stands opposite a fire station.