Strahov Monastery Brewery: Draft Beer for Connoisseurs

Strahov Monastery Brewery, Klasterni Pivovar, is located right next to Strahov Monastery and close to Prague Castle. The monks are gone, but the beer from this microbrewery still tastes perfect. The Strahov Pivnice (beer garden) is the best place to drink unfiltered St. Norbert beer, amber or dark coloured and slightly bitter in taste.

In summer, you will sit side by side with locals and tourists in the courtyard of the Strahov Brewery while enjoying a big mug of beer brewed in the microbrewery. Come back in the evening for a traditional Czech meal consisting of brewery goulash with onion and dumplings or minced pork marinated in beer and served with mustard and horseradish sauce. End your meal with Sumavska kava, coffee with an alcohol surprise.

Strahov Monastery Brewery and Beer

You come to Strahov Monastery Brewery primarily for the beer. There are always three types of beer on tap: Sv.Norbert Amber, Sv.Norbert Dark and Sv.Norbert IPA, which some say is the tastiest of the three. All three are unfiltered and served cold.

Seasonal beers are also available and all year-round. There is wheat beer in spring and at Christmas you savour strong Christmas beer from the tap. These are not the only craft beers in Klasterni Pivovar. Their creative brew masters have come up with a few other varieties, which you can try in their beer garden and at some beer festivals. They are brewed in limited quantities and are gone quickly.

Brewery and Restaurant

The Klasterni Pivovar complex consists of three parts. When the weather is fine, you sit outside in the courtyard, when it is raining or in winter you sit in the restaurant St Norbert. In addition there is the brewery itself, which has the ambience of a beer garden. The menu features traditional Czech dishes, exquisitely prepared. All ingredients come from local Czech growers and farmers. Prices are slightly higher than in an average Prague restaurant. This is justified because nowhere else in Prague the craft beer is so tasty.

Strahov Monastery Brewery and Beer Brewing

The Strahov Monastery Brewery is first mentioned in the thirteenth century. The monks worked in various professions and also brewed their own beer. The brewing process improved over the years and the beer became tastier and tastier. In the seventeenth century, the then abbot decided to set up a professional brewery. This is the spot of the present restaurant. The brewery closed its doors in 1907, but after a complete makeover and renovation, it opened again in 2000.

How to get there

Tours of the brewery are available on an individual basis. Contact the brewery or book a Segway tour with a beer tasting in two monastery breweries, Strahov and Brevnov.

Address: Klasterni Pivovar Strahov / Strahov Monastery Brewery, Strahovske nadvori 10
Opening hours: daily 10 am-10pm
Public transport: Take tram 22 or 23 to the Pohorelec stop and walk 200 meters up the hill to the Strahov Monastery Brewery.

Places nearby
Strahov Library: Books, Globes and Frescoes
Miniature Museum: the smallest book in the world
Prague Castle Tips: what to see and what to do

Photo Marianne Crone