While walking over to Vyšehrad fortress, this interesting looking structure caught my eye, so a…read morequick detour it was!
It's a short, slightly inclined walk from Rašinovo Nábřeží avenue to Emmaus Monastery. It's technically only a few blocks away though bc it's set on a small hill, the main entrance is in the east side and coming from the west you have to loop around which took an extra 10 minutes.
Named after a town mentioned in the book of Luke (in the Bible), it was founded in 1347 by Charles IV, completed in 1372, and has the distinction of being the first Benedictine abbey in all of Eastern Europe. In the Middle Ages, it was a popular annual pilgrimage site around Easter when the congregants would commemorate the holiday and the anniversary of the church's consecration on Easter Monday.
Over time multiple renovations incorporated different architectural styles into sections of the building, including Medieval, Gothic, and Baroque. In more recent history, the turbulence of WWII brought both the seizure of Emmaus' monks by the Gestapo, and their incarceration at Dachau concentration camp, and in 1945 an American bombing that destroyed a significant portion of the building, leaving it in a state of disrepair until its futuristic-looking roof was built overhead. It looks a bit mismatched, though I suppose that's what makes it unique too.
I didn't go inside, but their website shows that it's possible to walk along the cloister, the Baroque refectory, the Imperial Chapel and the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Not clear if the ambulatory with 14th century murals is currently accessible. Tickets are 90 CZK regular adult, 60 reduced, 150 for families, with free entry to disabled, tour guides and teachers accompanying a group.
Opening hours:
May-Oct, Mon-Sat 11am-5pm
Nov-Apr, Mon-Fri 11am-4pm