Strahovský klášter

Bishop Jindřich Zdík and Bishop John of Prague founded Strahov in 1143. They worked with Vladislaus II to bring Premonstratensian monks from the Rhineland to start the community. The first buildings were wood, but they upgraded to stone Romanesque structures by 1182. History hasn't been kind to the site. A fire in 1258 forced a Gothic rebuild. In 1420, Hussite mobs looted the place and burned the library. It happened again in 1648 when Swedish troops trashed the abbey during the Thirty Years' War. Abbot Jan Lohelius started the comeback in 1586. The Baroque look you see now is from the late 17th and 18th centuries. The Theological Hall opened in 1671. The Philosophical Hall followed in 1797.

The libraries are the main visual event at Strahov. You get two massive halls filled with thousands of books on science and religion. The Theological Hall came first in 1671. It has a low, vaulted ceiling covered in stucco. In the 1720s, Siard Nosecký added frescoes about 'Divine Wisdom.' The Philosophical Hall is different. It’s huge and was built between 1782 and 1797. The walnut shelves go floor-to-ceiling. Franz Anton Maulbertsch painted the roof fresco in six months when he was seventy. It shows the history of the human spirit. You can’t walk inside because the humidity has to stay constant. You view the rooms from the doorways. It's like looking into a giant treasure box. Even from the threshold, it is one of the best historical views in Central Europe.

The Basilica of the Assumption is the spiritual center. It started in 1143 as a Romanesque church but changed after every fire and war. The Swedes did the most damage in 1648. This led to the heavy Baroque style you see now. J. W. Neunhertz painted the Marian motifs on the ceiling in 1744. You'll also see sculptures by Ignác František Platzer. Music fans come for the organ. Mozart improvised on it in 1787. You can also visit the tomb of General Pappenheim in the southern aisle. It’s still an active church for the monks today. Keep your voice down and respect the people praying.

The Picture Gallery opened in 1835. The monks expanded their collection in the late 1700s by buying art from other monasteries that were closing down. Now they have over 1,500 paintings. It’s the oldest church gallery in Prague. You follow art from the 14th to the 19th century here. Look for the 'Strahov Madonna' from 1340. There’s also a 1530 painting of Judith by Lucas Cranach the Elder. In 1793, they even got a piece by Albrecht Dürer. The treasury also holds chalices and religious items that survived centuries of war. It gives you a clear look at how art in the region changed over time.

The Strahov Monastery Brewery serves a tradition that’s nearly a thousand years old. Monks brewed beer to get through fasts and to have something safe to drink. The current setup is in a restored 18th-century building. It’s a noisy, friendly contrast to the quiet libraries. The main event is the St. Norbert beer. They brew light amber and dark malty ales. They also serve a popular IPA. The IPA was a mistake from 2012 that stuck around. Order the dark lager beef goulash or the pork ribs. Eat in the rustic dining room or the inner courtyard. It’s the best way to end a day of walking through Prague history.