The Kladruby Monastery

The landscape around Kladruby, a place almost forgotten until recently, is crossed by a highway that was finished and opened in 1997, leading to the border crossing at Rozvadov. The first written record of Kladruby, originally located near today's cemetery, are found in the monastery's foundation charter dating back to 1115. After the monastery had been built, the importance of the village steadily rose due to its location on a strategic trade route between Prague and Nürnberg. Soon after 1230 Kladruby was declared a town and was granted trade privileges.

Around the mid-14th century the settlement moved to a more advantageous location near the monastery where it can be found today, while the former location with its Romanesque church slowly fell into disrepair. The monastery town survived despite the best efforts of the nearby royal town of Stříbro, which considered Kladruby unwelcome competition. Kladruby's growth was hampered by two great fires in 1711 and 1843 that damaged a large part of the town. Though basic crafts were practised here throughout the centuries, the inhabitants of Kladruby were always primarily farmers. Lead and silver ore mining also registered certain success. After the Thirty Years' War the town and its surroundings were populated by ethnic Germans who were replaced by Czechs after WWII.

Getting There: By bus or train to Stříbro and then by bus to Kladruby, by car (40 minutes)