hradisko monastery

Although we could not find Saint Stephen's church or how to get up the tower it was interesting to walk through the old monastry which is now a hospital.A light green Russian Orthodox church not too far away was nice to see too.

Hradisko Monastery is the oldest monastery in Moravia, and makes a lovely half hour stroll out from the historic centre of Olomouc.Founded originally in 1077 (no it's not a typo, ten-seventy-seven), Hradisko has been a centre of religion education and culture for the best part of a thousand years. The current appearance of the building dates from the reconstruction that followed the Thirty Years War in the 17th century.The imposing baroque palace has four wings with octagonal towers at each corner. The towers are capped by pear-shaped spires and a fifth and taller tower rises from the church of St Stephen in the central courtyard of the complex.The monastery as an entity was dissolved in Emperor Josef II's 1784 reforms. The buildings were used as a seminary for a few years, then passed to the Austrian army, who used it originally as a garrison store. During the Napoleonic wars it became a prison for French soldiers, and for a time was the enforced home of General Lafayette. After 1802 it became a military hospital and fulfils that function to the present. For that reason, most of the complex is off-limits to casual visitors and the Ceremonial hall, Library, Angel staircase, Church of Saint Stephen and viewing tower are open to the public only on Thursday afternoons and the first Saturday of every month.Fortunately for travellers who can't wait around that long, the exterior is impressive, especially when illuminated at night. The walk along the left bank of the river Morava is lovely and during the daytime it's nice to cross the pedestrian bridge for a drink at one of the outdoor beer gardens on the opposite bank.

Questo è il antico monastero della Moravia... Ben tenuto si trova sulla sponda del fiume Morava, ai bordi della città... sicuramente austero, come del resto Olomouc stessa! Interessante...

Uchvatná architektura uvnitř i zvenku, hezke okolí, čistota, moznost parkováni..................................................

Das Klosterkomplex Hradisko liegt am Ufer des Flusses Morava am Rande der Stadt Olomouc. In einem Teil davon befindet sich das Krankenhaus, andere Teile der barocken Anlage sind zu besichtigen. Man erfährt, wie die Mönche gelebt und gearbeitet haben. Die Räume sind sehr schön ausgestattet und man kann hier verschiedene Kunstgegenstände betrachten.