A glimpse into the world of books: A comprehensive guide for all bookworms and literary enthusiasts
Because we can openly admit that stories are what matter most. Relaxing in a comfortable armchair with a good book in your hand is one of the favourite activities of many people. As enthusiasts of books, literature, bookshops and libraries, you should not overlook other fascinating places: at Kudy z nudy, you will discover unique museums, stunning monastery and castle libraries full of historical volumes, literary monuments, exhibitions and houses of famous Czech authors, as well as a calendar of literary festivals and events. Your literary adventure can begin right here at our book and literary crossroads.
The series Czechia Between the Lines
As lovers of books and art, you should not miss our series Czechia Between the Lines. Together we, you can follow in the footsteps of fictional characters to places you may already know from literature or are just planning to visit. We introduce you to interesting facts and the background of popular Czech novels, and of course their authors, whether they are well-known or lesser-known Czech writers. Discover the literary world with them – whether on foot through the Czech regions, with the world’s most famous authors in Prague, or with Joy Adamson and the lioness Elsa in Africa, or with Karin Lednická in the story of the novel Šikmý kostel (The Leaning Church). Our virtual library is constantly expanding, and we are adding new titles, such as those that have won the Czech Magnesia Litera book award. We would also welcome your tips – let us know!
Books, libraries, rarities and curiosities
Join Kudy z nudy on a journey into the world of beautiful books, clever libraries, library rarities and curiosities! We will reveal how the tradition of March as Book Month came about, uncover the secrets of books that were kept on chains, and introduce you to the Devil’s Bible, the Voynich Manuscript, and the Liber sapientiae / Book of Wisdom, a witchcraft book written in German and Latin. This book was written in the mid-18th century, although its author signed it with a fictitious name. His true identity thus remains hidden.
Idiom, or an endless well full of books that attracts the whole world
If you find yourself in Mariánské náměstí (Marian Square) while walking through Prague’s Old Town, don’t forget to visit the Municipal Library. Since 1998, the entrance hall of the building has featured a column composed of a total of eight thousand books and two mirrors. The author of this tube, which is approximately two metres in diameter, is Slovak artist Matej Krén. This attractive installation attracts not only Prague bookworms, but also tourists from all over the world. The column even made it into the Lonely Planet guide and onto the cover of the scientific journal Science.
The most beautiful library in the world
Readers of the American website boredpanda.com recently voted the most beautiful library in the world to be located in Prague’s Klementinum. This Baroque treasure surpassed libraries in Dublin, Admont in Austria and the French National Library in Paris, among others. You can visit the Baroque library with its fresco decorations and collection of geographical and astronomical globes during a tour that will also take you to the Astronomical Tower and the Meridian Hall, where you will find late Renaissance astronomical instruments from the Rudolphine period in Prague. The Klementinum was once the third largest Jesuit college in the world. We also owe it for the oldest weather data in Prague, which has been recorded here since 1775.
Today, the Klementinum complex houses the National Library of the Czech Republic, which is the largest and also one of the oldest public libraries in the country. This library is considered one of the most important in Europe and the world. Its collection of historical and modern literature includes more than six million documents, with 70,000 new titles added each year. The oldest documents in the library are Greek papyri from the first century AD. The longest document is a 14th-century rotulus, which is over ten metres long. On the other hand, the heaviest book owned by the Klementinum is the Lobkovický gradual, which weighs over seventy kilograms.
The beauty of other old monastery libraries
However, our journey does not end with the Klementinum: there are many other beautiful libraries in Czechia. One of the most impressive is the library of the Strahov Monastery. This library is unique in that it was built directly for the existing bookcases and cabinets: the Premonstratensians from Strahov transferred the library from the abolished monastery in Louck. In addition to the furniture, woodcarver Jan Lahofer also came to Prague to supervise the construction of his life’s work for the second time. Almost 300,000 titles are stored in two halls and other rooms. A large part of the library consists of old prints from 1501 to 1800, as well as important first editions and manuscripts, which are kept in special vault rooms.
During a tour of Kynžvart Castle, you can see Chancellor Metternich’s castle library. This library has two large rooms and contains a total of 37,000 volumes written in Latin, German, French, English, Italian and Czech. More than half of the texts come from the abolished Benedictine monastery in Ochsenhausen, making it a very valuable collection for researchers and students.
The most beautiful Czech book of the century: Váchal’s Šumava umírající a romantická (The Dying and Romantic Šumava)
To mark the 60th anniversary of the Most Beautiful Czech Books of the Year competition, the organisers added a poll for the Most Beautiful Czech Book of the Century. The winner of this poll was the book Šumava umírající a romantická (The Dying and Romantic Šumava) by Josef Váchal (1884–1969), who was a painter, graphic artist, illustrator, sculptor, woodcarver, writer and poet. This publication is the result of many years of wandering around Šumava and, like Krvavý román (The Bloody Novel), is one of the books that the author wrote, typeset, bound and printed himself. The book weighs an incredible twenty kilograms and measures 65 x 49 cm. Váchal published only eleven copies of this unique book.
Museums full of books and literature
Places that will captivate you with their unforgettable atmosphere: these are interesting museums full of books and literature. You can visit, for example, the Museum of Literature at the Memorial of National Literature in Prague with its permanent exhibition Rozečtený svět (The World of Reading), the Memorial of Literature in Moravia, located in the Benedictine monastery in Rajhrad, the Memorial of the Kralice Bible in Kralice nad Oslavou, or the Library of the Latin School in Jáchymov. The old prints and manuscripts exhibited in the cellars of the Jáchymov Town Hall were lost for approximately 250 years and were hidden in the attic, where they underwent restoration for more than a hundred years. Most of the books date from the early 16th century, but the collection also includes the Old Testament from the 13th century and text fragments from the first century. There are also about seventy libri catenati, which are chained volumes used in school libraries to prevent students from stealing books. In addition, the exhibition includes a bookbinding workshop and a music room, where the largest book in the collection, a Renaissance songbook, is located. In Jáchymov, you can also visit the new information centre and internet café.
World Book Day and the homes of famous writers
Would you like to celebrate March – Book Month or 23 April, known as World Book and Copyright Day, in style? Visit one of the many memorials and museums dedicated to famous writers. In Stará Huť near Dobříš, you will find the Karel Čapek Memorial, lovers of Franz Kafka’s works can visit the Franz Kafka Museum in Prague, in Brno you will discover Milan Kundera’s library, and at the Jaroslav Hašek Memorial in Lipnice nad Sázavou, you can follow in the footsteps of his extensive and unfinished novel Švejk.
You can also visit Bohumil Hrabal at his cottage in Kersko or go to his birthplace in the town of Havlíčkova Borová, where Karel Havlíček Borovský became a symbol of patriotism and his house became a popular destination for visitors from all corners of the country. In addition to the permanent exhibition on his life and work, there are two other exhibitions here. One is dedicated to local native Josef Stránský and members of the 311th RAF Squadron from the Vysočina region, and the other to sculptor Viktor Dobrovolný.
