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Strahov Library

Strahov Library

Strahov Library
3
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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Top ways to experience Strahov Library and nearby attractions

The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Hradcany & Letna
Your experience in Prague will never be complete if you do not see it from the top. Hillsides, stretched from the west to the north, provide spectacular views of greenish copper cupolas, narrow cobblestone streets, bridges connecting both river banks and green gardens from red-roof tops of centuries-old houses. Prague pulls you into its 1300 year old history. Walking up the hill or stairs to Prague Castle, the historical seat of Czech rulers and the majestic Saint Vitus Cathedral can leave you speechless (and out of breath). Luckily, plenty of terrace cafés overlooking gardens and beautiful parks are available to provide rest and a place to catch your breath again.
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See what travellers are saying
  • Jambacy
    Dublin, Ireland827 contributions
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    Library putting a cap on Education
    The library opens at 10am. I arrived early, but no one said you can buy a ticket online. Granted up to me to find out that information but 5 members of staff there and no one advised me of this. So buy a ticket online which means you don't have to queue to pay, the qr code can be scanned by staff and you can be booked in at the earliest tour. The student/ concesssion price is only up until 26. Not sure why it is limited as lots of people start studying or continue studying after the age of 26. Funny as world wide student cards are accepted with no age limit. After queuing from 9.40am to 10am when I got to the top of the queue the lady was booking me in for 11am but unfortunately I had another trip booked so did not do it. I do believe the view is meant to be spectacular!!! I deducted 3 points for staff delivery. The lady on reception desk was very rude in how she spoke to me. Disappointing as in all other tourist attractions I have been met with kindness, smiling faces and politeness. Hopefully anyone else visiting is met in a more courteous manner.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 28 January 2024
  • MissGlobeTrotter24
    Ruswil, Switzerland42 contributions
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    You can not enter the library with the ticket!
    The library was breathtaking however you cannot enter it with the ticket they sell. There are 2 doors in which you can look inside - this is why all the pictures are from the same angle. Only for social media purposes. Weirdly enough, there are old rocks on display outside of the library doors. Maybe they should display more old books for people who are interested in the books! The reason you visit an old library. A few books are on display, but maybe about 5 in total. Still breathtaking though.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 26 April 2024
  • BlueyBear
    Doncaster, United Kingdom46 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth a visit
    Had a lot of trouble finding the ticket office (very poorly signposted) but once inside that was soon forgotten. Incredible library with painted ceiling. Other exhibits include a vast array of sea creatures preserved in cabinets.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 27 April 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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3.0
3.0 of 5 bubbles273 reviews
Excellent
78
Very good
46
Average
49
Poor
43
Terrible
57

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

Wenovo
Morris County, NJ2,026 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
My husband and I stayed in The Hotel Savoy for part of this trip. Excellent location for visit to the Library just steps away. There was always a line of people trying to get in, so it was convenient for us to choose the best time.

We visit when in Prague and I have written reviews in the past. There is so much one can google about the magnificent history and contents of the library. Do it before you go.

The Library survived a fire in the 16th century and was also damaged by the Hussite movement later on. Now it must survive hordes of tourists !

There are two halls stacked with books - floor to ceiling. The Theological Hall houses 18 thousand bibles. The ceiling with biblical motives is gorgeous.
The other - Philosophical Hall - houses over 40 thousand books. The frescoes on the ceiling are magnificent. The collection of the globes is amazing.

Clearly, the precious and priceless contents of the Library need to be protected from tourists, that come in large numbers and crowd into this relatively small space.
It was not built to accommodate crowds and it can not obviously be changed.
It must be preserved and protected !

It is an absolute necessity to have the Halls roped off. Otherwise, can anyone prevent tourists touching the books? It is not a "scam" it is a necessity !
There are large floor to ceiling openings into each Hall , the openings for viewing is certainly not a " door", as some reviewers described it.

It must be pretty obvious to reasonable people, that if left unchecked, tourists with selfie sticks roaming thru, could cause irreparable and very costly damage.

I would recommend this library, very much treasured by the Czech nation, only to visitors, who truly appreciate the enormous historical value, people who value books and history.

I have travelled all over Europe, visited art galleries, museums, libraries, paid high entrance fees, stayed behind ropes, obeyed the rules.
Never considered any visit a " scam " or "tourist trap" even if entrance fee seemed high. There is a high cost involved in preserving the Library for future generations .

I was thrilled that I could bring my adult, American born children here at one of our visits. I also treasure my childhood memories visiting here with my father many years ago.....

It is a very special place indeed ...

Till next time,
Dekuji a Nashledanou
Written 6 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Daniel A
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Family
TOTAL rip off. The only people giving this place a good review are the ones that pre-booked and managed to get inside the actual library. For the rest of us, 150 CZK per person rewards you with a 5 minute walk through a small dusty hallway with a view of the library rooms from afar. The icing on the cake was the extremely rude and unhelpful staff. Please avoid at all costs
Written 2 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

antoncarth
High Wycombe, UK847 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
I found Strahov Library online before visited the city and was excited to get there and have a look, because on pictures looked great. But reality was different, you are not allowed to walk in the library and see books from close, there is a small door you can only look from distance the library. There are always a bunch of people at the entrance of library, so you struggle to take position and see the room actually is library. The ticket wasn't expensive but I cannot find the reason pay ticket only to see from distance the library. Although you have to pay extra money to allow you take pictures.
I don't recommend a visit to Stahov library.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PragueMarek
Prague, Czech Republic103 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
Disappointing. The halls are not freely accessible, you can only look in through the door. You can also see "curiosities" - exhibits in display cases that are not labelled, so you have no idea what they are.
For the 150 CZK entrance fee we expected more - at least live explanation, not just a brief description on paper.
You must pay an extra fee to take a photo "officially".
Price should be lower, or there could be an explanation from a guide.
Written 6 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kathryn A
Malmö, Sweden11 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
Do not waste your money on this as we did. We were not informed by the ticket seller that we would be unable to access the actual library rooms with our entrance tickets. This is only possible if you pre book a guided tour in advance at a more expensive cost. The tickets available on site allow you only up the stairs where the library rooms are roped off. Total waste of money. Personnel are also very unfriendly and unhelpful towards tourists and extremely rude. Unable to take any photos only for an extra fee!
Written 2 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hilary A
2 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
Beware - although you can by a ticket at the ticket office for the library it does not give you access to visit the library! If you wish to visit the library you need to email a request to join a tour in advance of your planned visit, otherwise the ticket merely entitles you to stand in a corridor with various cases of shells, butterflies and rocks and peer over a rope into the library -all for the princely sum of Kc 250 pp !! A complete rip off unless you have a prior reservation to visit the library!
Written 22 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jambacy
Dublin, Ireland827 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Solo
The library opens at 10am. I arrived early, but no one said you can buy a ticket online. Granted up to me to find out that information but 5 members of staff there and no one advised me of this. So buy a ticket online which means you don't have to queue to pay, the qr code can be scanned by staff and you can be booked in at the earliest tour.

The student/ concesssion price is only up until 26. Not sure why it is limited as lots of people start studying or continue studying after the age of 26. Funny as world wide student cards are accepted with no age limit.

After queuing from 9.40am to 10am when I got to the top of the queue the lady was booking me in for 11am but unfortunately I had another trip booked so did not do it.

I do believe the view is meant to be spectacular!!!

I deducted 3 points for staff delivery. The lady on reception desk was very rude in how she spoke to me. Disappointing as in all other tourist attractions I have been met with kindness, smiling faces and politeness. Hopefully anyone else visiting is met in a more courteous manner.
Written 29 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

cvtmuench
Mesa, AZ232 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019
The monastery’s Strahov Library is the 2nd oldest church library in the Czech Republic with a collection of some 250,000 volumes including 3,000 manuscripts. The Strahov Evangeliary is undoubtedly one of the oldest and most precious manuscripts. Quite an extraordinary destination in Prague!
Written 27 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TravelingSoccerLoon
Saint Paul, MN6,573 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
Monasteries like Strahov were not just places of worship but keepers of knowledge. The Strahov Library inside the Strahov Monastery has a library of philosophy and a library of theology. Both rooms contain hundreds of books dating as far back as the 10th century and the elaborately decorated rooms with ornate ceilings are stunning to behold. Just the sight of them is worth the price of admission. However, there is also so much history in here. As keepers of knowledge, the monastery could also decide what information should be shared and which should be suppressed. In the Library of Theology, there is a golden locked case containing the "prohibited books" from such "controversial" figures such as Copernicus, Jan Hus and Rousseau. In the room connecting the two libraries, there are interesting displays of other articles of science that can be seen. It costs 150 CZK to enter the monastery, and it is well worth it. The monastery often closes for an hour each afternoon so confirm opening times before visiting.
Written 26 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

emeric b
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
150 CK entry per person to stay in front of the entrance to the library without being able to enter... Whether for conservation or otherwise, this must be clarified so as not to mislead visitors... Very very disappointed even if the latter is pretty... From afar...
Google
Written 4 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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STRAHOV LIBRARY (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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