Klementinum Baroque Library & Astronomical Tower Guided Tour Prague

The Klementinum: a Jesuit college beside Charles Bridge

The Klementinum is a vast complex of courtyards, chapels and libraries in the Old Town, second in size only to Prague Castle among the city's historic sites. The Jesuits founded it in the 16th century as a college and expanded it over generations into a centre of learning, with a printing house, a library and an observatory. Today it houses the National Library of the Czech Republic, but parts of the historic interiors are open on guided tours.

The Klementinum guided tour starts near Charles Bridge, so it fits easily into a walk through the Old Town and makes a good plan for a rainy day. Tours are small and run at set times shown in the booking panel, so book ahead.

The Baroque Library Hall

The Baroque Library Hall is the highlight for many visitors. Completed in the 1720s, it is a long, richly decorated room lined with gilded wooden shelves filled with thousands of historic books, and its ceiling is covered with frescoes celebrating knowledge and learning. Old globes and scientific instruments stand along the hall, and the atmosphere is hushed and majestic.

To protect the books, guests usually look into the hall from the entrance rather than walk through it, so ask your guide about the rules on the day. It is one of the most photographed interiors in Prague.

The Meridian Hall and the Astronomical Tower

The tour continues to the Meridian Hall, where astronomers once used a sunbeam falling on a line marked on the floor to determine exact midday. For centuries the Klementinum's observatory measured Prague's time and weather, and its records are among the oldest in Central Europe.

A climb of about 170 steps then leads up the Astronomical Tower, around 68 metres high, to a small balcony with a panoramic view of Prague's rooftops, the Vltava River, Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. Bring a camera; the stairs make the tour unsuitable for guests with limited mobility.

Practical information: tickets, timing and the best time to go

The tour lasts about 45 minutes with a live English-speaking guide. The entry ticket and fast entry, which lets you skip the ticket queue, are included. Choose a start time in the booking panel and arrive a few minutes early; early and late tours are often quieter.

The best time to visit the Klementinum is on a clear day for the tower views, but most of the tour is indoors, so it also works in rain. Food and beverages are not included. Because groups are small, booking early is wise in spring and autumn, when the Old Town is at its busiest.