LICEUM, LIBRARY AND OBSERVATORY

The Líceum d'Eger is one of Hungary's oldest educational establishments, founded in 1765 by Archbishop Károly Eszterházy with the ambition of turning it into a university. This magnificent monumental building, in late Baroque with Rococo and Regency elements, bears witness to this ambitious vision. One of its most famous treasures is the sumptuous archiepiscopal library on the second floor. It houses over 130,000 books in 34 different languages, including precious manuscripts, incunabula and rare editions. The walls are covered with carved wooden shelving on two levels, while the vaulted ceiling is adorned with superb illusionist frescoes painted in 1781 by Johann Lukas Kracker, depicting the Apotheosis of Science. The giant globe, 53 cm in diameter and dating from 1792, is enthroned in the center of the hall.

The building also houses a historic astronomical observatory, founded in 1776, on the ^6th floor of the tower. Here you'll find an impressive collection of ancient scientific instruments, as well as a Foucault pendulum demonstrating the Earth's rotation. On the ^9th floor, the famous Camera Obscura - one of the oldest still in operation in Europe - allows visitors to observe live, through a system of mirrors and lenses, an animated panoramic image of the city projected onto a white table. Just below, on the ^8th floor, a panoramic terrace offers a beautiful view of Eger's rooftops.