Event: Czech Republic - Prague

Klementinum

When:	Daily
Where:	Klementinum
Costs:	Courtyard free
Opening Hours:	Courtyard always open Astronomical Tower Mon-Fri 12pm-7pm; Sat & Sun 10am-7pm

The Klementinum was the centre of Jesuit activities in Prague from 1653 until the mid-18th century. The complex was continually expanded over this period and finally completed in 1726, in time for Mozart to perform in the ornate, Baroque Chapel of Mirrors, a venue which features in the film about the composer, Amadeus.

After the Jesuits were disbanded, Charles University moved their library to the site and it currently houses the National Library of the Czech Republic and the State Technical Library, with an estimated five million volumes.

Energetic visitors can climb the 200-odd steps to the tower for stunning views over the city below. In honour of Mozart's memory, there are regular classical concerts in the Music Room and Chapel of Mirrors, and guided tours every hour around the rest of the complex.

The tower also played an important role in the development of Czech astronomy, as it was from here that both Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler studied the stars between 1600 and 1612. In 1612, as a result of their combined efforts, Kepler published the three laws of planetary motion.