★★★★★ 5.0
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Strahov Monastery
Did you know there are TWO MILLION books hiding up here - that's enough to give every kid in Prague their own personal library of FOUR books each! Look at those white walls climbing up the hillside... this monastery is older than America times THREE - monks started building it way back in 1143, when knights still rode horses through these very gates! See that fancy church dome that looks like a giant golden cupcake? Before these buildings stood here, this hilltop was a spooky forest where hermit monks lived in caves and tree hollows - imagine living in a tree like a squirrel! The coolest secret is waiting inside the library halls... they painted FAKE books on the ceiling to trick visitors, and there's even a hidden door disguised as a bookshelf that leads to SECRET monk tunnels! Can you count how many real windows are on the big white building as we walk closer?
Did You Know?
- Strahov Monastery is home to one of Europe’s most stunning libraries, the Strahov Library, which houses over 200,000 books—including rare medieval manuscripts, globes, and maps—and dazzles visitors with its Baroque frescoes and intricate woodwork in the Classical Philosophy Hall.
- Remarkably, the monastery has survived centuries of turmoil, including looting during the Hussite Wars, destruction by fire, and even bombardment by the French army in 1742, each time being rebuilt and expanded, often in the architectural style of the era—from Romanesque to Gothic and finally to its current Baroque splendor.
- Strahov is still a living, breathing monastery with an active community of Premonstratensian monks who continue the traditions of prayer, music (including a famous organ tradition), and brewing—visitors can sample traditional Czech beer made onsite and enjoy panoramic views of Prague from the monastery’s beer garden.