This place is just west of central Prague. It's still in the greater Prague area (Praha 6) and is accessible by tram. In fact, the tram you take to get here passes underneath the castle then winds along around the backside of the castle complex yielding unparalleled views of St. Vitus and the rest.
Anyway, the tram climbed up into the suburban hills and crept slowly away from the buzz of the city center until this monastery emerged with a bang from the trees and Communist block houses.
It is over 1000 years old (founded in 993) and absolutely massive. It's surrounded by orchards, fields and parks in a very lovely setting. It's most recent reconstruction was during the 18th century, therefore, the buildings are Baroque.
The hills behind the complex make a natural enclosure and many ruined walls, buildings and stairwells adorn them.
The buildings were apparently occupied by the Nazis during the war, but retain much of their original character. The area doesn't seem to have suffered much more than an occupation at the hands of the Germans, no real damage.
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