Clementinum Astronomical Tower and Baroque Library
Klementinum Baroque Library and Astronomical Tower
45 minutes | Classical Music | Available
| Area: | Klementinum Baroque Library and Astronomical Tower |
|---|---|
| Duration: | 45 minutes |
| Status: | Available |
Ticket in your mobile device accepted
Tour of some parts of the Clementinum and a visit to the world's most beautiful library
Tour in the English language, with the exception: on weekdays, Czech language tours are at 5:00 p.m., and on weekends, Czech language tours are at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
The route takes you to the Astronomical Tower and the extension that connects it to the northern wing of the Clementinum complex. Here, you will have a guided tour of the Baroque Library, described as the most beautiful library in the world.
You may view the Baroque Library but not enter it. The next stop on the tour is the Meridian Hall with period astronomical instruments on the 2nd floor of the Astronomical Tower. For three hundred years, the giant Atlas carrying a sky full of stars on his shoulders has been looking down from the top of the tower. These have never been missing in the Clementinum - neither in star charts nor in its halls, where even W. A. Mozart himself walked and played music. The highlight of the tour is the ascent to the gallery of the longest continuously measuring meteorological station in the Czech lands.
Highlights of the sightseeing route:
- View (but no entry) of the Baroque library hall decorated with beautiful frescoes on the theme of science and art. In the hall, there is a collection of foreign-language printed theological literature and several large, historically valuable globes. The library's collection includes 27 thousand volumes, mainly from the field of theology.
- The Meridian Hall is located on the 2nd floor of the tower. This unique room was formerly used as a giant camera obscura, where, with the help of a taut string, high noon was determined. In the walls of the Meridian Hall, there are 2 original astronomical instruments, namely mural quadrants used to measure the position of the stars.
- The 68-metre-high Astronomical Tower, which offers a magnificent view of the centre of Prague. The tower houses an exhibition of historical measuring instruments and interesting facts about the history of the tower. Originally, since 1751, the observation tower was used for astronomical observations, and it retained this function until 1938. Since 1752, it has also been associated with meteorological measurements, which became regular and systematic from 1775 onwards. For more than eighty years (1842-1928), it was also from here that the announcement of noon was made to the inhabitants of Prague.
Included:
- Entrance ticket with a view into the Baroque Library, the Meridian Hall, and the Astronomical Tower
Opening hours:
- January - March Whole week 09.00 - 19.00
- April - September Whole week 09.00 - 20.00
- October-December Whole week 09.00 - 19.00
Important:
- NOT ALL TOURS ARE IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: on weekdays, Czech language tours are at 5:00 p.m., and on weekends, Czech language tours are at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
- There is a high number of staircases, and a lift is not available
- The sightseeing route is not wheelchair accessible
- Tour is in the English language
- Free admission for children under 5 years
- Please note that the price of the ticket includes a service fee of 30 CZK (1,3 EUR)
