Tepla Monastery
A Premonstratensian abbey with a Romanesque church and a library of a hundred thousand volumes.
Updated 21 October 2026
Tepla was founded in 1193 by Hroznata, a Bohemian nobleman who later joined the order and died in prison after being captured on the road, and who is venerated as a martyr; the Premonstratensians are still there. The abbey church is a rare thing in this part of the country: a late Romanesque basilica of about 1200 with an early Gothic vault, largely surviving under later furnishing. The library building, put up in 1902-1910, holds around a hundred thousand volumes and is the second largest monastic library in the country after Strahov, in a purpose-built hall with galleries. The abbey funded the development of Marianske Lazne on its land, so the spa exists because of it. Restoration has been running since 1990. There is a museum and a hotel in the convent.
History
Teplá Abbey was founded in 1193 by the Blessed Hroznata of Ovenec, a Bohemian nobleman who died in 1217, and its first monks came from the Strahov Monastery in Prague. The Romanesque church, with additions in the style of the transition to Gothic, is one of the oldest churches in Bohemia, and its high altar was carved in 1750 by Josef Lauermann and Ignatius Platzer. The present monastery building was put up under Abbot Raimund Wilfert II (1688-1724), and the library was built by Abbot Gilbert Helmer from 1900. After Hroznata was beatified in 1897 his reliquary was moved to the apse for display, while his original burial place before the high altar is marked, with his sarcophagus beside it (Wikipedia, Teplá Abbey).
The main sights
- A Romanesque basilica of about 1200 - with an early Gothic vault over it.
- A library of a hundred thousand volumes - second in the country after Strahov.
- Hroznata's tomb - the founder venerated as a martyr.
- A restoration in progress - running since 1990.
When to go
April to October. Half a day.
Good to know
Guided tours only, at set times, and it is a working monastery so areas are closed. Restoration means scaffolding in places. The church is cold. Public transport to Tepla is limited.
Nearby
Marianske Lazne is twelve kilometres south; Kynzvart is west.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q361388, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Tepla Monastery
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