Strahov Monastery

Lonely Planet review

Apart from magnificent views over Prague, Strahov Monastery's main draw is the baroque Strahov Library (Strahovská knihovna). It's divided into two magnificent book-lined halls - the two-storey high Philosophy Hall (Filozofický sál; 1780-97), with its grandiose ceiling fresco, and the stucco-encrusted Theology Hall (Teologiský sál; 1679). You can only peek through the doors; the connecting hall has a Cabinet of Curiosities full of sea creatures.

The monastery was established in 1140 by Prince Vladislav II for the Premonstratensians, followers of the teachings of St Augustine, but the complex didn't undergo its most significant developments (including the reconstruction of a brewery) until the 17th and 18th centuries. The library comprises one of the oldest monastic collections in the country. Researchers are allowed to access many of the priceless books and manuscripts. Others have to be content with glimpses of the 50,000 tomes in the baroque, double-storey Philosophy Hall (built in 1794 and decorated with a fresco by Anton Maulbertsch) and the 16,000 books in the equally stunning Theology Hall. The Strahov Picture Gallery has a collection of monastic paintings and sculptures from Bohemia and elsewhere in Europe.