Kladrubsky Monastery

About

Set in the luscious forests close to Pilsen, and built in 1114, the Kladrubsky Monastery is one of the oldest in the country and. Having undergone significant changes throughout the centuries, this striking monastery bears the imprints of the best Czech Baroque architects, and is often compared to St. Vitus cathedral in Prague. Tours lasting just under an hour are available of both the monastery and the accompanying castle, both of which feature exhibitions of the history of the Benedictine Order. Not to be missed is the Monastery Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, rebuilt in the eighteenth-century in an extraordinary “Baroque-Gothic” Style that can only be found today in Bohemia. The church contains the original floor plan of a Romanesque basilica and at almost 280 feet, is the longest in the country. Please note: as with most historical attractions, the monastery is closed on Mondays.