Strahov Library, Monastic library in Hradčany district, Prague, Czech Republic.
The Strahov Library contains two main halls, the Theological and Philosophical, with wooden bookcases holding 200,000 volumes of historical texts and manuscripts.
The Theological Hall, established between 1671 and 1674, represents the oldest section of the library, while the Philosophical Hall was added in 1794.
The ceiling frescoes in both halls were painted by Siard Nosecký and Anton Maulbertsch, representing scientific and theological themes of their periods.
The library offers guided tours with tickets available at the Church of St. Roch, accepting payments in Czech crowns for entry to both halls.
The collection includes 1,500 first prints from early printing press days and 3,000 manuscripts stored in a secured treasury room.
Location: Prague
Part of: Strahov Monastery
Email: erika@strahovskyklaster.cz
GPS coordinates: 50.08588,14.38924
Latest update: March 7, 2025 06:47
European historic libraries and bookshops preserve written heritage accumulated over centuries. From Livraria Bertrand in Lisbon, founded in 1732 and still operating at the same location, to the Bodleian Library in Oxford, which has housed over 13 million works since 1602, these sites reflect the evolution and dissemination of books. Livraria Lello in Porto is notable for its curved wooden staircase and neo-Gothic woodwork from 1906, while Dominicanen Bookshop in Maastricht is housed in a converted 13th-century church. These spaces are distinguished by their architecture, from baroque to neo-Gothic, and by their function preserved across centuries. The Celsus Library in Izmir, built in 135 AD, used double walls to protect its 12,000 parchments from humidity. Hatchards in London has been operating since 1797 over five floors in Piccadilly, whereas Shakespeare and Company in Paris has maintained its English-language tradition since 1951 opposite Notre-Dame. These institutions offer visitors the chance to explore places where the history of the book is engraved in stone and wood.
Strahov Monastery
10 m
Basilica of the Assumption
67 m
Church of Saint Roch
125 m
Premyslid Crucifix
59 m
Opatská zahrada
97 m
Vyhlídka s vinicí
136 m
Museum of miniatures
155 m
Strahov Monastery Gardens
97 m
Socha Zjevení blahoslaveného Heřmana u kostela Nanebevzetí Panny Marie u strahovského kláštera
79 m
Dům U Tří lilií
147 m
Dům U Modré hvězdy
153 m
Dům U pěti hvězd
147 m
Bývalý strážní domek
148 m
Panna Maria z exilu
125 m
Pohořelec 14
147 m
Bývalá mýtnice
148 m
Backenhauslovský dům
165 m
Dům U Pumpy
149 m
Column with statue of Saint Norbert
106 m
Bývalá branská písárna
147 m
Socha lva na vnitřním nádvoří Strahovského kláštera
80 m
Socha sv. Norberta na bráně Strahovského kláštera
145 m
Strahovská 123
121 m
Dům U Tří žlutých růží
160 m
Column with statue of Ecce Homo
114 m
Kašna na terase Strahovského kláštera na Hradčanech
129 m
Kříž u kostela svatého Rocha na Hradčanech
127 m
U tří lilií
148 mReviews
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