To Read or to Sleep

The main purpose for me to visit the Strahov Monastery is to see the Strahov Library. The library with the two Baroque halls is the largest monastic library in Czech Republic.

I paid 80 CZK for the admission ticket, but I was given a 50 CZK ticket which I think is the concession ticket. I didn't noticed that until I got back from my trip and studied the ticket in more detail. I wonder what had happened to the balance of 30 CZK!

The first thing that caught my eyes was the two-storey Philosophy Hall once I stepped into the lobby. Everybody is allowed to peek at the hall through the door only. Only V.I.P. guests can enter the hall. It is said that the humidity from visitors' breath may endanger the frescoes on the magnificent ceiling.

To take pictures here, there is an extra 50 CZK photo license. If you have forgotten to pay for it at the ticket counter, one of the prudish attendants there will stop you from taking any pictures until you pay them 50 CZK. They will stick a sticker stamped with the monastery's seal on you camera sling belt as proof of photo license. Once you have decided to leave, they will confiscate the sticker from you. I think that's to prevent the sticker to be passed around among other visitors. What a brilliant thought!

Further down the corridor from the lobby is another beautiful hall called the Theology Hall. The same restriction on visitors' entry to the hall applies here. Everyone is only allowed to peek at the hall from outside the door. The curved ceiling full of embossed carvings is a resemblance of today's moulded gypsum-board ceiling, but I believed they were hand-crafted at that time.

The ceiling is also adorned with beautiful frescoes depicting 'True Wisdom'. What an irreplaceable theme for a library!

When I looked up on the ceiling of the corridor, there was a fresco too, but definitely not as elaborate as the frescoes in the two halls.

Other than the two magnificent halls, ancient books and written artifacts are displayed along the corridor and lobby.

There is a documentary book from the 17^th century with very beautiful drawings on it. Writers in the ancient time had to be good illustrators too.

There is a also a symbolic map from the 16^th century depicting Europe as a virgin.

When I was about to leave the monastery, I saw two symbolic maps of Europe on the lawn!

This Nicholas is Not that Nicholas

In Prague, there are two St. Nicholas Churches. One is located at Old Town Square and the other at Lesser Town Square.

The one at Lesser Town Square is more prominent as it is considered as the most beautiful Baroque building in Prague. The more-than-70-m high cupola and the bell tower of equal height form an important part of Prague's skyline.

When I went to Prague 7 years ago, I remembered that I paid to go in to the church at Lesser Town Square. When I read my travel guidebook during my trip this year, I saw free-of-charge entry! I thought that was more than a bargain and happily went to the church expecting to have free entry. But I realised that I was wrong because I mistakenly referred to the entrance fee of the St. Nicholas Church at Old Town Square in the travel guidebook. I still paid up 70 CZK to gain permission to enter this St. Nicholas Church. What I got from the 70 CZK was a postcard-size ticket and a leaflet with more information about the church.

I didn't take many photos of the church 7 years ago as I did not have much memory storage for my digital camera, and was very careful with the shots from my film camera. This time round, I could finally fire the shots to my heart's content.

The church interior is adorned with many statues, giving it a very strong spiritual atmosphere. There are also very beautiful paintings on the dome and vaults with gilded frescoes at every corner. All there were done by the contemporary leading artists.

During the evening time, concerts are still held inside the church. Therefore, the pipe organ is still maintained to be in working condition. It is said that the organ was used by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart during his part of life in Prague.

Paying 70 CZK to see all those was already worth the ticket price. Not to mention that there are actually more paintings, statues and frescoes in the chapels lining along both sides of the nave of the church.

When you are in Prague, don't miss out visiting this church as it is one of the churches with the most beautiful interior in Prague, or perhaps the most beautiful.