#1 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Czech National Museum (Narodni Muzeum)
Prague
~0.08 miles from Prague city center
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The National museum (Czech: Národní muzeum) is a Czech museum institution intended to systematically establish, prepare and publicly exhibit natural scientific and historical collections. It was founded 1818 in Prague by Kašpar Maria Šternberg. Historian František Palacký was also strongly involved.
At present the National Museum houses almost 14 million items from the area of natural history, history, arts, music and librarianship, located in tens of buildings.
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#2 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Prague State Opera
Prague
~0.16 miles from Prague city center
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The Prague State Opera (Czech: Státní opera Praha), is an opera and ballet company in Prague, Czech Republic. The theatre was originally founded in 1888 as the New German Theatre and from 1949 to 1989 it was known as the Smetana Theatre.
The history of the theatre currently known as the Prague State Opera dates back to the late 19th Century. While often overshadowed by the more prominent National Theatre of Prague, the company has its own distinct history. The birth of a magnificent Czech Theatre, the National Theatre, in 1883 indirectly created a longing among the Prague German community for a German-speaking opera house of its own. At that time the Czech lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and there was a large German minority living in Prague. On 4 February 1883 the Deutscher Theatreverein was founded with the goal of raising funds for the new theatre. The plans were developed by the well-known Viennese firm Fellner & Helmer along with Karl Hasenauer, architect of the Burgtheater in Vienna. The resulting Neues deutsches Theater (New German Theatre) was designed by the Prague architect Alfons Wertmüller and built within 20 months. With its spacious auditorium and elaborate neo-rococo décor, the theater was one of the most beautiful in Europe.
Performances commenced on 5 January 1888 with Richard Wagner's opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. The first director became Angelo Neumann, who brought there distinguished musicians and set high artistic standards so that the Theatre reached soon international recognition. Neumann's successors were Heinrich Teweles, Leopold Kramer, Robert Volkner, Paul Eger, and Pavel Ludikar. Artists associated with the theatre in its first phase included Alexander Zemlinsky, Georg Széll, Erich Kleiber, Otto Klemperer, Hans Hotter, Kurt Baum, and Wilhelm Elsner. Guest artists included Nellie Melba, Enrico Caruso, Emma Calvé, Lilli Lehmann, Selma Kurz, Maria Jeritza, and Leo Slezak.
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#3 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske Namesti)
Prague
~0.26 miles from Prague city center
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Wenceslas Square is one of the main city squares and the centre of the business and cultural communities in the New Town of Prague, Czech Republic.
Wenceslas Square (Czech: Václavské námestí (help·info)) is one of the main city squares and the centre of the business and cultural communities in the New Town of Prague, Czech Republic. Many historical events occurred there, and it is a traditional setting for demonstrations, celebrations, and other public gatherings. The square is named after Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia. It is part of the historic centre of Prague, a World Heritage Site.
Formerly known as Konský trh (English: Horse Market), for its perodic accommodation of horse markets during the Middle Ages, it was renamed Svatováclavské námestí (English: Saint Wenceslas square) in 1848 on the proposal of Karel Havlícek Borovský.
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#4 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Mucha Museum
Prague
~0.32 miles from Prague city center
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A legend in his own lifetime, Alfons Mucha precipitated his rise to world fame in 1894 with his poster of actress Sarah Bernhardt in "Gismonda" which introduced the art nouveau style. Mucha was born in 1860 in Moravia, now part of the Czech Republic. His family opened this museum in 1998. It contains the artist's famously ornate posters, cookie and champagne labels, bicycle ads, etc. Each item shows off his use and mastery of intricate detail and pastel colors. There are also other images, painted depictions of age, poverty and war, the artist's sketchbooks showing how he worked out his decorative patterns, and photographs both by and of Mucha. Prague is full of Mucha souvenirs and the gift shop here is a good place to find some of the more tasteful ones.
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#5 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Stare Mesto
Prague
~0.37 miles from Prague city center
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Old Town (Czech: Staré Mesto) is the original place of settlement of Prague, Czech Republic. It was separated from the outside by a semi-circular moat and wall, connected to the Vltava at both of its ends. The moat is now covered up by the streets (from north to south-west) Revolucni, na Príkope, and Národni—which remain the official boundary of the cadastral district of Old Town. It is now in Praha 1.
After the city was expanded in the 14th century by Charles IV with the founding of the New Town, the moat and wall were therefore dismantled soon after.
Notable places in the Old Town include the Old New Synagogue, Old Town Square and Astronomical Clock. Across the river Vltava is the Lesser Quarter, called Malá Strana in Czech. These two parts of the town are connected by Charles Bridge. Josefov is located in the northwest corner of Old Town heading towards the Vltava.
From its early existence, around 9th century, Staré Mesto was laid out of settlements which appeared from the spacious marketplace on the bank of Vltava. Records dating back to 1100AD indicate that every Saturday a market was held on the marketplace, and large military gatherings also took place there. Thanks to the trade the nearby area merchants became rich, and when the King Vaclav I gave them the privileges of township, the town of Mesto Prazske (the town of Prague) was formed. According to ancient records, the city had around 13 gates, and a huge moat, providing strong defenses.
After the city was expanded in the 14th century by Charles IV with the founding of the New Town, the moat and wall were dismantled soon after.
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#6 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Black Theatre Prague Animato
Prague
~0.43 miles from Prague city center
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We would like to invite you to the unique nonverbal black theatre performance, which would allow you to forget a workday routine in this over mechanized world for a while.
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#7 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Museum of Communism
Prague
~0.44 miles from Prague city center
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The Museum of Communism in Prague examines the history of communism in Prague and the Czech Republic. It provides a look at the theory and the reality of communism, and the impact it had on all aspects of life in the Czech Republic. The museum describes it as, "The Dream, the Reality, and the Nightmare". On display are statues of communist figures, including Marx and Lenin, propaganda posters and writings used to control the citizens during the 1950s and 1960s, photographs from the time of the Soviet occupation, and a continuously running film on Vaclav Haval and the coercion and tactics of the secret police. There are also objects from every day life during the Soviet era, including a recreated Communist-era classroom and workshop. The Museum of Communism also looks at the Velvet Revolution and the end of the communist era in Prague.
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#8 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Nove Mesto
Prague
~0.49 miles from Prague city center
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The New Town (Czech: Nové Mesto) is a quarter in the city of Prague in the Czech Republic. New Town is the youngest and largest of the five independent (from the Middle Ages until 1784) towns that today comprise the historic center of modern Prague. New Town was founded in 1348 by Charles IV just outside the city walls to the east and south of the Old Town and encompassed an area of 7.5 km²; about three times the size of the Old Town. The population of Prague in 1378 was well over 40,000, perhaps as much as twice that, making it the 4th most populated city north of the Alps and, by area, the 3rd largest city in Europe. Although New Town can trace its current layout to its construction in the 14th century, only few churches and administrative buildings from this time survive. There are many secular and educational buildings in New Town, but also especially magnificent gothic and baroque churches. These nevertheless are not the main drawing points for tourists. New Town's most famous landmark is Wenceslas Square, which was originally built as a horsemarket and now functions as a center of commerce and tourism. In the 15th century, the Novomestská radnice, or New Town Hall, was the site of the first of the three defenestrations of Prague.
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#9 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Estates Theatre (Stavovske Divadlo)
Prague
~0.49 miles from Prague city center
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The Estates Theatre or Stavovské divadlo is a historic theatre in Prague, Czech Republic. The Estates Theatre was annexed to the National Theatre in 1948 and currently draws on three artistic ensembles, opera, ballet, and drama, which perform at the Estates Theatre, the National Theatre (Národní divadlo), and the Kolowrat Theatre (Divadlo Kolowrat).
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#10 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Powder Tower (Prasna Brana, Powder Gate)
Prague
~0.51 miles from Prague city center
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The construction of the 65m-tall Powder Tower begun in 1475 under the reign of King Vladislav II Jagiello and for a few centuries has been known as the New Tower. It used to form one of the 13 entrances to the Old Town and contribute to the beauty of the Royal Court, the king’s residence. The New Tower was built in concordance with the Old Town Bridge Tower designed by Peter Parler a century before.
In 1483 the king moved to Prague Castle and the bridge was left unfinished. Between 1875 and 1886 the tower was rebuilt, decorated and redesigned by Josef Mocker. The gate acquired its present name in the 17th century when it was used to store gunpowder. Today, there is a small exhibition about the tower and it is open for visiting.
Opening hours:
April-October from 10.00-18.00 daily.
How to get there:
Metro: Yellow B line: “Namesti Republiky”;
Trams No 4, 14, 26 to the stop “Namesti Republiky”;
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#11 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
House of the Black Madonna (Dum U cerne Matky Bozi)
Prague
~0.54 miles from Prague city center
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#12 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Municipal House Hall (Obecni Dum)
Prague
~0.55 miles from Prague city center
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The Municipal House (in Czech, Obecní dum) is a major civic landmark and concert hall in Prague, and an important building in architectural and political history in the Czech Republic. It stands on the Námestí Republiky.
Around 1900, the building was commissioned by the city on an odd-shaped lot and the subject of one architectural competition, then another, both unsatisfactory. The job was then simply given to architects Osvald Polívka and Antonín Balšánek, who served as much as artistic coordinators as designers. Construction started in 1905 and it opened in 1912.
The Art Nouveau structure is an artifact of the Czech nationalism of the time and carries a wealth of ornament by some of the leading Czech artists of its day. The main facade features a large ceramic half-dome mosaic above the entry, Homage to Prague, by Karel Špillar. On either side are allegorical sculpture groups representing The Degradation of the People and The Resurrection of the People by Ladislav Šaloun, while the remainder of the rich decoration was done by Josef Maratka, František Úprka and others, with light stands designed by Karel Novák. Inside there are murals by the famous Alfons Mucha, Jan Preisler and Max Švabinský and others, all of this on nationalist themes.
The main space within the Municipal House is the concert space, Smetana Hall, named in honor of Bedrich Smetana. On October 28, 1918, Smetana Hall was the scene of the proclamation of the independent state of Czechoslovakia.
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#13 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Czech Technical University (Ceske Vysoke Ucení Technicke CVUT)
Prague - 420 224 35 1111
~0.55 miles from Prague city center
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According to the latest ranking in the Times Higher Education Supplement, the Czech Technical University in Prague appears in 394th place. This is the first time that the university has ranked in the Top 400 universities in the world, out of more than eight thousand universities worldwide. The best ranked Czech university, Charles University, ranked 229th, and no other Czech university was placed among the Top 400 universities.
The THES ranking of technical universities was published at the same time. Here, the Czech Technical University in Prague moved up to 171st place, which is an improvement of more than 50 places on the previous year’s ranking.
http://www.cvut.cz
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#14 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Vinohrady
Prague
~0.55 miles from Prague city center
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Vinohrady (in English literally "vineyards", formerly Královské Vinohrady, German: Königliche Weinberge) is a cadastral district in Prague. It is so named because the area was once covered in vineyards dating from the 14th century. Vinohrady lies in the municipal and administrative districts of Prague 2, Prague 3 and Prague 10. From 1867 to 1968 it was called Královské Vinohrady ("Royal Vineyards"). In 1922 Vinohrady was made part of Prague. Because it was known as a "bourgeois" district and thus politically unreliable, the then-ruling Communist Party of Czechoslovakia split Vinohrady into different municipal districts in 1949.
Havlíckovy Sady (literally Havlícek's Orchards), Prague's second-largest park, is in this district. There is a vineyard still in production in Gröbovka Park, next to Havlíckovy Sady.
Famous Czech artists such as Jakub Schikaneder, Otto Gutfreund, Hugo Boettinger and Karel Špillar are buried here.
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#15 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Repubic Square (Namesti Republiky)
Prague
~0.59 miles from Prague city center
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#16 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Tyn Cathedral
Prague
~0.62 miles from Prague city center
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The Church of Our Lady before Týn (in Czech Kostel Matky Boží pred Týnem, also Týnský chrám (Týn Church) or just Týn) is a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague, Czech Republic, and has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church's towers are 80 m high and topped by four small spires.
In the 11th century, this area was occupied by a Romanesque church, which was replaced by an early Gothic Church of Our Lady in front of Týn in 1256. Construction of the present church began in the 14th century in the late Gothic style under the influence of Matthias of Arras and later Peter Parler. By the beginning of the 15th century, construction was almost complete; only the towers, the gable and roof were missing. The church was controlled by Hussites for some time, including John of Rokycan, future archbishop of Prague, who became the church's vicar in 1427.
The roof was completed in the 1450s, while the gable and northern tower were completed shortly thereafter during the reign of George of Podebrady. His sculpture was placed on the gable, below a huge golden chalice, the symbol of the Hussites. The southern tower was not completed until 1511, under Matej Rejsek. In 1626, after the Battle of White Mountain, the sculptures of George of Podebrady and the chalice were removed and replaced by a sculpture of the Virgin Mary, with a giant holy made from by melting down the chalice. In 1679 the church was struck by lightning, and the subsequent fire heavily damaged the old vault, which was later replaced by a lower baroque vault.
Renovation works carried out in 1876-1895 were later reversed during extensive exterior renovation works in the years 1973-1995. Interior renovation is still in progress.
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#17 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius
Prague
~0.62 miles from Prague city center
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The Ss. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral in Prague, Czech Republic, is the principal church in the Metropolitan Council of the Czech Republic. The existing structure had its origins as a Roman Catholic church built between 1730 and 1736 by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, dedicated to Saint Charles Borromeo, archibishop and cardinal of Milan in the XVII century.
In 1942, during World War II, the cathedral was the scene of the last stand of a number of Czech and Slovak patriots who had assassinated Reinhard Heydrich, the Nazi SS Obergruppenfuhrer and General of Police. After a fierce gun battle, they reportedly committed suicide to avoid capture.[1][2] Presently there is a museum in the church dedicated to them as national heroes.
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#18 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Astronomical Clock (Prague Orloj, Prazsky Orloj)
Prague
~0.63 miles from Prague city center
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#19 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Old Town Hall Tower
Prague
~0.63 miles from Prague city center
Hotels Close to Old Town Hall Tower
The Prague Astronomical Clock or Prague Orloj (Czech: Pražský orloj [pra?ski? ?rl?i]) is a medieval astronomical clock located in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, at 50°5'13.23?N 14°25'15.30?E. The Orloj is mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square and is a popular tourist attraction.
The Orloj is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.
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#20 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Old Town Square (Staromestske Namesti)
Prague
~0.64 miles from Prague city center
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Old Town Square (Czech: Staromestské námestí) is a historic square in the Old Town quarter of Prague in the Czech Republic.
Located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge, Prague's Old Town Square is often bursting at the seams with tourists in the summer. Featuring various architectural styles including the gothic Týn Cathedral and baroque St. Nicholas Church, the square is an oasis for travelers wearied by Prague's narrow streets. Among many churches, tourists may find the Astronomical Clock on this square, while the tower at the Old Town Hall offers a panoramic view of Old Town.
The square's center is home to a statue of religious reformer Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake for his beliefs. The statue known as the Jan Hus Memorial was erected on July 6, 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of his death.
Not only a popular meeting place, Old Town Square sees its share of celebrations (New Year's), holiday markets (Christmas and Easter), and protests. On occasion, ice-hockey and football (soccer) games are shown on huge screens, drawing large crowds of fans.
The Sex Machines Museum, the only sex museum in the world solely dedicated to sex machines, is located in the Old Town Square.
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#21 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Town Centre
Prague
~0.65 miles from Prague city center
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One of the oldest parts of the city. Part of the UNESCO world heritage collection.
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#22 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Naprstek Museum
Prague
~0.65 miles from Prague city center
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The Naprstek Museum is a museum of Asian, African and American art in the city of Prague. It is part of the Prague National Museum. It was founded by Vojta Náprstek (1826-1894).
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#23 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Stone Bell House
Prague
~0.68 miles from Prague city center
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The remarkable Early Gothic house “At the Stone Bell” at the Old Town Square is one of the most interesting medieval buildings in Prague. It was probably originally built for the Royal family and its frontage was one of the most beautiful in Europe at the time. You can see how imposing Prague was in the middle ages there. Building of the house started in the second half of the 13 th century.
With most probability, the house “At the Stone Bell” was built for Queen Elisabeth I. of Bohemia, mother of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. There are no written documents about it, but there are some pieces of medieval decoration found in the house and some of them probably represent the Royal family. Other interesting pieces of sculptures, such as a head of a lion with eyes made of glass or a head of a “savage man”, were found there.
The origin of the name “At the Stone Bell”
There is a replica of the original stone bell on the corner of the building, which gave it the name “At the Stone Bell”. It is placed there probably to remind the historical event from 1310, when the Queen Elisabeth´s parson used a bell to give a sign to the future king John of Luxembourg. It meant that he can come with his army and nonviolently occupy the Prague Old Town.
Emperor Charles IV. in the Stone Bell House
The first written mention of the house “At the Stone Bell” is from 1363, when it already belonged to the Prague goldsmith Pecolda of Cheb. But there are many legends and stories about possible inhabitants. Young future Emperor Charles IV. probably lived here with his mother when he returned from his studies in France in 1333. An old Prague legend says, that St. Ludmila, mother of St. Wenceslas, used to live there. Allegedly there was a chapel in the basement, where secret divine services were held when Christians were persecuted in Bohemia.
Reconstruction of the house
The house “At the Stone Bell” was rebuilt in Baroque style in 1685, but it was decided to restore it in its original Gothic look in 1961. The great results of the restoring works and the many decorations found there were a surprise even for experts. Discovered fragments of wall paintings were renewed and there are two chapels, one in the first floor and the other in the ground floor. The restored building was opened in 1988.
City Gallery Prague exhibitions
Nowadays, the house “At the Stone Bell” belongs to the City Gallery Prague and various exhibitions and concerts are held there. The exhibitions focus on modern and contemporary art.
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#24 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Kinsky Palace (Palac Kinskych)
Prague
~0.68 miles from Prague city center
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Attraction type: Art gallery, Historic site, Art museum
Address: Staromestske namesti 12
Praha 1, Staré Mesto Prague
Czech Republic
Tel: 224-810-758
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#25 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
St. Nicholas Church at the Old Town Square
Prague
~0.70 miles from Prague city center
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The current St. Nicholas church at Old Town, designed by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, was completed in 1735. It wasn't until 1901, when the Krenn House was demolished that the Baroque façade was visible from the Old Town Square. The white façade is decorated with sculptures made by Antonín Braun.
The marvelous interior of the church is inspired by the chapel of St. Louis-des-invalides in Paris. The delicate stucco decoration was executed by Bernardo Spinetti, the frescos were made by him as well.
History
In 1781, after emperor Jozef II ordoned the closure of all monasteries without a social function, all decoration in the church was removed. From 1870 to 1914, the church was used by the Russian orthodox congregation.
During the second World War, Czech army units were stationed in the church. Artists, who otherwise would have had to go to the front, were set to work by a colonel to restore the church. After the war, the church was handed over to the Czech Hussite movement.
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#26 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Prague City Hall
Prague
~0.73 miles from Prague city center
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Prague's old Town Hall was built in 1364. The astronomical clock in the town hall's tower is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. Originally the building served only as the city hall of the old town, but later became the city hall for all of Prague. It is now only used for ceremonial functions.
The Town Hall
After King John of Luxembourg accorded the citizens of Prague the privilege of having their own district council in 1338, they decided to build a Town Hall, paid for by a duty levied on wine. The almost 70 meters high tower was completed in 1364. Due to continuous expansions, the building now is a colorful collection of gothic and renaissance-style façades. During the 2nd World War, the building was severely damaged when the nazis suppressed the Prague uprising, but it is now thoroughly restored.
Main door
A magnificent late gothic door in the house adjacent to the tower serves as the main entrance to the Old Town Hall. The pink colored renaissance style house next door features a richly decorated window with the city's coat of arms. It currently houses the tourist information office. From here you can get access to the tower.
Another interesting building that is now incorporated in the Old Town Hall is the so-called Dum U Minuty, a house with beautiful 17th century sgraffito decorations.
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#27 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Josefov
Prague
~0.73 miles from Prague city center
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Josefov (also Jewish quarter; Josephstadt in German) is a town quarter and the smallest cadastral area of Prague, Czech Republic, formerly the Jewish ghetto of the town. It is completely surrounded by Old Town. The quarter is often represented by the flag of Prague's historic Jewish community, a yellow Magen David (Star of David) on a red field.
Jews are believed to have settled in Prague as early as the 10th century. The first pogrom was in 1096 (the first crusade) and eventually they were concentrated within a walled Ghetto. In 1262 Premysl Otakar II issued a Statuta Judaeorum which granted the community a degree of self administration. In 1389 one of the worst pogroms saw some 1,500 massacred at Easter Sunday. The ghetto was most prosperous towards the end of the 16th century when the Jewish Mayor, Mordecai Meisel, became the Minister of Finance and a very wealthy man. His money helped develop the ghetto. Around this time the Maharal was supposed to create the Golem.
In 1850 the quarter was renamed "Josefstadt" (Joseph's City) after Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor who emancipated Jews with the Toleration Edict in 1781. Two years before Jews were allowed to settle outside of the city, so the share of the Jewish population in Josefov decreased, while only orthodox and poor Jews remained living there.
Most of the quarter was demolished between 1893 and 1913 as part of an initiative to model the city on Paris. What was left were only six synagogues, the old cemetery, and the Old Jewish Town Hall (now all part of the Jewish Museum in Prague and described below).
With only six synagogues, the old cemetery, and the Old Jewish Town Hall the Nazi German occupation could have been expected to complete the demolition of the old ghetto. However the area was preserved in order to provide a site for a planned "exotic museum of an extinct race". This meant that the Nazis gathered Jewish artifacts from all over central Europe for display in Josefov.
Currently Josefov is overbuilt with buildings from the beginning of the 20th century, so it is difficult to appreciate exactly what the old quarter was like when it was reputed to have over 18,000 inhabitants.
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#28 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Prague National Theatre (Narodni Divadlo)
Prague
~0.76 miles from Prague city center
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The National Theatre (Czech: Národní divadlo) in Prague is known as the Alma Mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.
The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition which was created and maintained by the most distinguished personalities in Czech society. This tradition helped to preserve and develop the most important features of the nation–the Czech language and a sense for a Czech musical and dramatic way of thinking.
Today the National Theatre consists of three artistic ensembles–opera, ballet and drama–which alternate in their performances in the historic building of the National Theatre, in the Theatre of the Estates and in the Kolowrat Theatre. All three artistic ensembles select their repertoire not only from the rich classical heritage, but in addition to local authors they focus their attention on modern world output.
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#29 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
National Marionette Theatre (Narodni Divadlo Marionet)
Prague
~0.76 miles from Prague city center
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Attraction type: Puppet Theater
http://www.mozart.cz/
festival@mozart.cz
Address: Zatecka 1
Praha 1 Prague 11000
Czech Republic
Tel: 420 224 819 322
Fax: 420 224 819 324
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#30 of 30 Things To Do in Prague
Clementinum Prague National Library
Prague
~0.76 miles from Prague city center
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The Clementinum (Klementinum in Czech) is a historical complex of buildings in Prague. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.
The history of the Klementinum dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.
The National Library was founded in 1781 and from 1782 the Klementinum was a legal deposit library.
In 1918 the newly-established Czecho-Slovak state took over the library. Since 1990, it has been the National Library.
The architecture is a notable example of Baroque architecture and Clementinum, covering 20,000 square metres, is the second largest complex of buildings in Prague after the Prague Castle.
The library contains a collection of Mozartiana, material pertaining to Tycho Brahe and Comenius, as well as historic examples of Czech literature.
Today the complex hosts the National, University and Technical libraries. The City Library is also located nearby on Mariánské Námestí.
For several years before 2006, there was an on-going debate on the possibilities of expanding the space for future library collections, as the room in the current Clementinum buildings is expected to reach its limit by 2010. On Jan 10, 2006, the Prague authorities decided to sell the city-owned property located in the area of Letná near the Prague center, to the National Library. In Spring 2006, an international architectural design competition for the new building was put up. An architect who won the competition is Jan Kaplický, but his winning was infirmed, so the Czech National Library is still waiting for its final project. The completion of the new building is anticipated in 2010.
In 2005 the Czech National Library received the UNESCO´s Jikji prize (Memory of the World).
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#30 of 30 Things To Do in Prague