Norbertine (Premonstrates) Abbey in Tepla was founded in the late 12th century. Comprising over 100,000 volumes, the abbey´s library is the second largest in the Ctech Republic and is a treasury of scientific information for researches. The abbey is closed in January. A combination with marianske Lazne spa or Becov castle (Shrine of St. Maurus) is available.
8 HOUR ROUND TRIP

The Norbertine Abbey of Tepla was founded between 1193 and 1197 by the Czech courtier Hroznata Tepelsky z Ovence. Memebrs of the Norbertine order (established in 1120 by the bishop of Magdeburg, St. Norbert from Xanten ) were brought from the Abbey of Strahov in Prague. Hroznata acquired the area around Tepla, then a market borough, from the monarch for colonization and safeguarding the western frontier. The foundation charter from March 1197 is of great value as it is the oldest known private document by a Czech nobleman.
After the loss of his son and wife, Hroznata entered the order and became a custodian of the Abbey property that he had donated. Due to his position he was kidnapped in May 1217 by the knights of the town Cheb (Eger) who were the enemies of the Abbey. Since he refused to pay the ransom demanded, he was starved to death in prison on July 14th of the same year. The Norbertines bought his body off and buried it in front of the main altar in the Abbey Church, as was customary in the case of a founder. To this day , Hroznata´s sarcofagus of stone testifies to the magnificences of his burial. After his death, Hroznata was widely revered as a martyr for justice. This culminated in his beatification in 1897. A hundred years later, he was proclaimed the patron of diecese of Pilsen (Plzen town). Nowadays, his remains are kept in the left chapel in the abbey Church. The anniversary of his death is celebrated with great solemnity and is attended by former political prisoners from the periods of Nazism and Communism.
The Abbey of Tepla became, for 800 years, a colonization center of the surrounding area adding the spiritual, cultural and economic growth.

Comprising over 100.000 volumes , the Abbey Library is the second largest ne of its kind in teh Czech Republic. It is a treasury of scientific information for researchers. The fund insludes 820 manuscripts ( of these, 45 are medieval codices). In the spirit of the cultural and scientific traditions of the Norbertine order , the Library is accessible to researcehrs.
The Library has two books of great significance to Germanists, namely the poenitentiale from about 830 AD with an Old German prayer, and the Codex Teplensis, the first translation of the New Testament into German, dating back before 1400. Other notable books include Vita fratris Hroznatae (1259, a legend about the founder of Tepla ), a prayerbook of King Ladislaus Posthumus (1453) and a set of 7 liturgical codices of abbot Sigismind from 1460 and 1491. The library contains 540 incunabules (prints from before 1500AD) and over 600 paleotypes (before 1539 AD). Detailed lists of these rare funds have been submitted to rpint recently. About 30.000 entries are volumes printed before 1800. For the book scientists, some of the Gothis, Renaissance and Baroque bindings ate of great interest. There are valuable sources in the LIbrary on subjects such as the history of the church and the order, local history and geography (Marianske Lazne) or balneology.

Adjoined to the Library is the Museum. Selecetd art works restituted to the Abbey are on display in the first floor corridor. The exhibition includes sculptures of the saints, paintings and portaits or biblical scenes. The display cases show tin and china works of practical nature and splendidly embroidered vestments and textiles. The show case with various documents from European monarchs attests to the prestige of the local Abbots. Another item of interest is a fragment of Goethe´s collection of minerals from the areas around the Abbey. The portaits above both staircases depict some of the Abbots. The full succession - "Series Abbatum" begins in the quadrature. Each painting bears an inscription expressing the Abbot´s deserves for the Abbey. Below, there are smaller portaits of prevosts of the convent at Chotesov who were members of the Tepla canonry.
The Abbey was returned to the order at the beginning of 1990. The members of the community are now working on restoring the buildings and trying to get back property that was stolen by the totalitarian regime.
W from Prague, 2,5 hours to drive
Trip:
1)Tepla monastery trip CWW8 - 8 hour round trip
Trips combinations :
2)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Manetin chateau CWW4 - 9 hour round trip
3)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Becov castle CWW7 - 9 hour round trip
4)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Kynzvart CWW6 - 11 hour round trip
5)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Plasy monastery CWW5 - 9 hour round trip
6)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Krivoklat castle CW1 - 9 hour round trip
7)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Nizbor ctystal factory CW3 - 9 hour round trip
8)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 - 10 hour round trip
9)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Marianske Lazne spa CWW1 - 10 hour round trip
10)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Plzen brewery CSWW1 - 10 hour round trip
11)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Moser glassworks CWW3 - 11 hour round trip
12)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Marianske Lazne spa CWW1 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 - 12 hour round trip
13)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Marianske Lazne spa CWW1 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Moser glassworks CWW3 - 13 hour round trip
14)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Marianske Lazne spa CWW1 + Ostroh CWW10 - 13 hour round trip
15)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Marianske Lazne spa CWW1 + Plasy Monastery CWW5 - 13 hour round trip
16)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Marianske Lazne spa CWW1 + Becov chateau CWW7 - 13 hour round trip
17)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Marianske Lazne spa CWW1 + Loket and Cheb town CWW9 - 13 hour round trip
18)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Becov chateau CWW7 + Marianske Lazne spa CWW1 - 13 hour round trip
19)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Marianske Lazne spa CWW1 + Kynzvart town and spa CWW6 - 13 hour round trip
20)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Moser glassworks CWW3 - 13 hour round trip
21)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Ostroh CWW10 -13 hour round trip
22)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Plasy Monastery CWW5 - 13 hour round trip
23)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Becov chateau CWW7 - 13 hour round trip
24)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Loket and Cheb town CWW9 - 13 hour round trip
25)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 - 13 hour round trip
26)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Kynzvart town and spa CWW6 - 13 hour round trip
27)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Marianske Lazne spa CWW1 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 - 13 hour round trip
28)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Plzen brewery CSWW1 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Moser glassworks CWW3 - 13 hour round trip
29)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Plzen brewery CSWW1 + Ostroh CWW10 - 13 hour round trip
30)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Plzen brewery CSWW1 + Plasy Monastery CWW5 - 13 hour round trip
31)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Plzen brewery CSWW1 + Becov chateau CWW7 - 13 hour round trip
32)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Plzen brewery CSWW1 + Loket and Cheb town CWW9 - 13 hour round trip
33)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Becov chateau CWW7 + Plzen brewery CSWW1 - 13 hour round trip
34)Tepla monastery CWW8 + Plzen brewery CSWW1 + Kynzvart town and spa CWW6 - 13 hour round trip


Our popular tours are outlined on our web sites:
www.private-tours.net
www.private-tours.cz
jewish.tourstoprague.com