Loved this library, we paid entry only really wanting to see inside the library. We where told that the only way to see the library with via the tour so signed up. The tour guide was friendly, informative and all in English which i was pleasantly surprised about. The only disappointing thing was that you are not allowed into the library, even with a tour guide you can only stand on the side and view from a corner of the library. It would have been nice to step inside with a tour guide being there to supervise but nether the less it was worth the trip and expense.

The main attraction of this is the Baroque style library and the visit is chargeable. The problem is you are not allowed to step into the library. Can only look at it from the viewing point at the entrance and you are not allowed to take photos as well. No doubt it is pretty but too bad you can't take pic nor can you get a closer look.

The baroque library was first opened in 1722 as a part of the Jesuit university based in Klementinum. It houses over 20.000 of mostly foreign theological literature. You cannot enter the beautifully decorated library, you can just take a look inside standing in front of it. The church was closed. There is a small guided tour. Although beautiful it is not a number one visit for us.

A few minutes of divinity / spirituality / hygge not to be missed. The library is quite simply profound. Yes, you have people shuffling for a view when you’d love it all to yourself. Yes, you can only step 6 feet in when you’d kill to browse the shelves. Yes, your time is up when all you want to loose yourself for days. None of which changes the fact that this is one of the few transcendental buildings I’ve found. It won’t move you as much as the Pantheon and Luxor, because you can’t fully immerse yourself in it, but you can dream. —- Operationally. We booked skip the queue online a few days in advance, cost was SFA, got hotel to print the tix (but I’m guessing a screen shot / pdf woulda been fine too), arrived 3 mins before the tour time, nice older guy on desk explained exactly what to do (hang here a few mins and guide will be along) and right on time a pleasant young fella arrived and took us through. He talked a lot about the rules and that’s fine by me. He talked a little about what we saw and that’s fine too. There are a few other elements to the tour and the view at the end really is a cracker. You do this tour to get a few mins to step into the library and breathe it in. It’s an unforgettable few mins. —- Bonus. Thanks to my teenage son for translations of some of the Latin on the roof. Inc this one. “Science does not have enemies”.

Ok, I don't like to write bad reviews but in this case I just have to. There are so many great things to do in Prague but this is not one of them. At first entrance costs 200 CZK (about 7€) for students and 300 CZK (about 11€) for adults. I am student, with this money I could do a ton of less educate things, instead I chose to go to nation library. And I paid 7€. But that would be ok if the library was excellent. Now you would maybe expect to see a lot of books and beautiful interior when you go to national library right? No, instead you get a look through open doors at the library. That is it for the library. The interior in library is fine but you almost can't see any of it. The interior all around is awful and disgusting. Another part is the tour guide, you can't understand a word of what he is saying. They are totally unsynchronized so we waited like 20 minutes in total of the 50 minute journey. After a two minute look at the library you get to go to the tower. The view is ok but if you want to get a view of Prague try maybe going to the tower of Charles bridge (much less expensive + short museum of Charles bridge) or you can try the tower at Old Town Square. If you want to see a museum try the NaFilM museum at the Františkánské zahrady it's really great and interactive. In conclusion just don't go there, you can do much more fun stuff in Prague. 😊

I was not sure if I should rate this 1 star or two because the library itself is very nice...impressive actually but you can only see it from the fence on the doorway. We were lucky enough that we came right after COVID lock down so we were only 4 people in the group and could easily see it but I hear normal groups are 25 people and I can only imagine how hard would be to see and appreciate the room with so many people trying to get to the doorway. Once you see the library you will see a few other rooms and climb to the tower with has nice views of the city but it is definitely not worth 300czk per person they are asking for a 40 minute tour.

After seeing photos and hearing about the amazing interior of this library we tried to go around lunchtime and were incredibly disappointed. Firstly it was really easy to miss the entrance for visitors, the main library can't actually be accessed as it's for university students only (even if you have an international student card). Secondly, to access the visitors library you have to have a tour guide and this only lasts 40 mins, no photography allowed which seems really restrictive. We had wanted to spend some time there ourselves viewing the library and reading but this was not an option. Also, there were no tours available until 7pm that day so it needs booking in advance if you do want to visit (otherwise it can be a few hours wait). Staff at the visitors desk and working for the library were extremely rude and inpatient, they didn't seem like they wanted to speak to visitors at all and overall was a very unwelcoming experience. Such a shame for such a beautiful space, it feels wasted.

to start with there are some practical tips : There are 172 stairs to climb to the top of the tower, no lift! Open from 10:00 to 17:00 (Thursday to Saturday till 17:30) The tours are only guided and take around 50 minutes . The tours are mainly in English, the Guided tour in Czech is run on Sunday at 11:00, The entrance fee: 300 CZK / around 14 USD. To be paid by cash or by credit card. Be advised there are no toilets as they are currently under reconstruction. The tour comprise the Baroque library hall, Meridian hall and the Astronomical tower. Unfortunately you can fully get inside. Due to the better inner climate control you can just step into the doors and admire this stunning baroque room. NO pictures can be taken. Then you walk up the stairs to Meridian hall, a unique room where you can see how the noon used to be determined The light going through a small hole and falling on as string to determinate the high noon. The tour finishes in Astronomical tower which was used for astronomical observation till 1938 but know with excellent magnification view of Prague and countless church spires.

Imagine a tour that has a baroque library as its highlight but all you are permitted to do is stand in a crowd like a herd of unhappy livestock at the doorway of a dark room and get a brief glimpse from afar while inhaling the unmistakable stench of decay. Inside the hall, there are thousands of priceless works with presumably fascinating histories. However, this will forever remain a tantalizing mystery as your guide could not be less interested in the subject and seems to know surprisingly little about it. The tour then continues through a couple of (mostly empty) rooms with astronomical instruments that the guide seems just as uninterested in. After climbing a winding and rickety staircase that would likely fail any number of safety inspections, you are abandoned in a claustrophobic tower to contemplate what you ever did to deserve such a sad and expensive experience. Consider this a voice from the future seeking to save you from yourself and this awful waste of time and money: just walk away and go buy yourself an ice cream instead.

For the most costly tour so far (almost double of what the other ones cost) this was extremely disappointing, you see the library from a tiny corner and photos are forbidden, you spend about 5 minutes there anyway. Then comes the tower tour which, with overstuffed group they made, is extremely claustrophobic and you have no time to see anything. Basically you’re pushed around like a sardine for 40mins. Do not recommend.