Strahov Monastery
Founded in 1143, looted and burned by Prague's own citizens in 1420, dormant for over a century and a half — twice rebuilt from near-ruin.
Coming soon on iOS — be first to walk Prague offline.
During the Hussite Wars, Prague's citizens sacked Strahov in 1420 and torched its books, furnishings, and church contents. The monastery barely functioned for over a century before Abbot Jan Lohelius arrived from Teplá Abbey in 1586 and drove a full reconstruction. What stands today layers two distinct recoveries: one after the 1258 fire, one after the 1420 plunder.
What to look for
- The Romanesque basilica — built first in wood by monks who arrived from Steinfeld in the Rhine valley, it was the original center of all monastic life at Strahov
- Stone monastery buildings that replaced the provisional wooden living quarters, a project interrupted by the devastating 1258 fire
- The church as reconstructed by Abbot Lohelius after 1586, the physical record of the monastery's second revival after over a century of near-abandonment
Located in the Strahov quarter of Prague; the Premonstratensian order has been present on this site since 1143.
Strahov Monastery is one of 36 sights worth the detour in Prague, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Prague pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Prague
- Prague CastleThe Guinness-record largest ancient castle on Earth — and the Czech president still works inside it.
- Charles BridgeCzech legend holds that Charles IV chose his construction start time — 5:31am on 9 July 1357 — because the digits form a palindrome he believed would imbue the bridge with additional strength.
- St. Vitus CathedralOne theory holds that the founding duke may have chosen St. Vitus partly because his name echoes a Slavic sun god — making conversion easier for a populace already devoted to the solar deity Svantevit. Christian and pagan communities shared this hilltop until at least the 11th century.
- Dancing HouseTwo interlocked towers shaped like mid-dance partners, built on a Vltava riverfront plot that sat bombed-out and derelict for decades.
- Prague Astronomical ClockEvery hour, a skeleton marks the time — on a clock mechanism that has been running since 1410.
- National Museum in PragueThe building that closes off Wenceslas Square has anchored Czech protests, rallies, and public life since 1891.