Loreto

Very interesting place. The 6 chapels, cloisters and church provide a mind altering visual spectacle not to be missed. The beautiful frescos, painted ceilings, golden baroque detailing.... 👨‍🍳😗 The 1st floor (second floor to Americans) contains stunning but bit out of the ordinary objects, from the artwork to the intricate monstrance (reliquaries) were real Oddities which exactly why I loved it. The grounds were immaculate and the architecture of the cloisters and the reliefs of Santa Casa are a interesting detail. Unfortunately, I didn't get the time to properly investigate and appreciate most of the first floor as we were rushed out promptly at closing. I guess that why I have it 4 stars. I came across the Loretto after a late lunch and approached the woman outside, I ask what time it closed and she said 5, it was a little after 4 so I said if come back to I could take me time. She persuaded me to go ahead that there want a lot to see. So against my better judgement I went with it. I should have know it would be enough time. Would it's not a huge collection, I go to learn about so I read and I take time to study each piece so I can soak it all up. I only made it to the entry hall of the first floor but was gently reminded it was close to closing as they started turning off the lights. I certainly understand the perspective of want to get people out so you can go home but if that will be the case maybe put a "last entry" time so patrons can decide if it's enough time. While this want a pilgrimage for me personally I do believe the other family present, it was sometime special as they prayed at many of the alters. So my parting advice is that if you are a person who likes to stand and study objects or if you are coming as a personal pilgrimage come earlier in the day.

This beautiful Baroque monastery is located near Prague Castle. It is a place of pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary with the Baroque Church of the Nativity, richly decorated in Rococo style with many frescoes and cherubs, and a copy of the Holy House, surrounded by cloisters and chapels. The tower houses a carillon of 27 bells that performs the Loreto service (every hour from 10:00 to 17:00). The Loreto treasure includes a rare collection of liturgical objects and other votive offerings from the 16th to 18th centuries, the most famous of which is the "Prague Sun" - a tabernacle encrusted with 6,222 diamonds.

DO NOT MISS the carillon playing. It is a ringing mechanism that occurs every hour. The song is fantastic (clip attached). It is a few minutes walk from the Prague Castle, and therefore can be easily added to your plan. Recommended to everyone, it won't take up too much or your time, or money if you obtained the City Pass!

I enjoyed learning about saints and martydoms. At the ground level are located several chapels and paintings (worth reading) and at the first floor you can find the treasury.

A stunning monastery located in the castle district of Prague. The cost to enter is about $11 USD per person, but it is worth it. Amazing beauty. The courtyard is stunning with beautiful painted ceilings all the hallways that lead around the courtyard. The church in the monastery is beyond words. Amazing decoration, paintings, and statues. The Loreta Monastery is a must see when visiting Prague. We loved our visit.

Prague’s Loreto was begun in 1626 by Kateřina Benigna of Lobkowicz. At its centre is the Holy House, a 1631 copy by Giovanni Battista Orsi of the Santa Casa, its façade carved with Annunciation, Visitation, and Nativity scenes. Dientzenhofer later enlarged the cloister and raised the Church of the Nativity, where the altarpiece is thought to follow Filippo Lippi. Much of the chancel sculpture is by Matthias Schönherr, whose Tyrolean rococo runs through altar, pulpit, and oratory. In the Holy House stands the Virgin of Loreto, a limewood statue darkened by candle soot, enclosed in silver rays - long the focus of pilgrim devotion within the cloister.

Beautiful buildings and art collections. But the site is not well maintained: filthy and the garden is very neglected. Overall pricey for what it is, but a nice site

Loretta palace is a beautiful monument. It doesn’t take too long to explore, and so it can easily be combined with Petrin tower, which is just 5 minutes away!

This baroque church is a hidden gem and well worth the entrance fee. At the center of the courtyard is Santa Casa, a replica of the church of the same name in the Holy Land. A handy map guides visitors around the arcades. The Church of the Nativity of Our Lord houses cherubic statues honoring specific saints. Look for the angel extracting a tooth, celebrating Saint Apollonia. Check out the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows in the corner, featuring a crucified bearded lady. On the 1st floor, visit the treasury to see the Prague Sun shimmering with its 6,222 diamonds. There is also a replica of a crypt uncovered in 2011.

I really didn't know what to expect from Loreta. Travel guide descriptions were often all over the place, citing it as a must-see, but also a mixed bag of a museum. Which it is. After visiting here, it's impossible to pigeonhole Loreta as one thing. Which is a long-winded way of saying that, yes, what you've read is accurate, even if it seems confusing and a bit unhelpful even. Loreta is many things, and easily defined is not one of them. That won't stop me from trying, of course. After purchasing a ticket and photography pass, I wandered around the cloister, taking in a variety of religious artwork along the perimeter, getting a good look at the iconic, baroque clock tower looming overhead, the courtyard statues, and the center shrine to the Virgin Mary. It was all very beautiful and very old, but feeling unappreciative (and guilty for feeling unappreciative), I couldn't help thinking to myself, "Is this it?" As I made the full trip around the cloister, I soon saw signs for the Treasury upstairs. "No, this was not it," I assured myself. I was in for more. This second floor was more of a proper museum, with your glass-cased relics and Jesus sketches and gift shops and whatnot. But there was one room in particular that alone was worth the visit to Loreta. I swear, it was like stepping into that room at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey, except that it glowed this galactic black instead of the film's signature white. Hard to explain, but it felt like I was somewhere final, somewhere special, somewhere sacred. This room was filled with a ton of priceless artifacts, like diamond-encrusted papal mitres and gloves (#popeswag) and this ridiculously beautiful ostensory know as the Prague Sun. Fittingly, I helplessly gravitated towards this spiky trophy, made of - count 'em - 6,222 diamonds. Alone in this room, I felt a bit like Indiana Jones finding that golden idol at the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was an unreal collection and this monstrance was clearly the star attraction. So, after all was said and done, what is Loreta? Yeah, it's a museum, an impressive place of pilgrimage, with beautiful scenery and a stunning collection of jewels - all of those things. But it's a bit of a hidden gem itself, not as immediately stately as some of Prague's other major landmarks, but one that demands your patience and attention and humility in order to fully appreciate it.

For the devout Catholics you will appreciate this facility as it offers so much history. Probably one of my favorites when visiting this lovely city! You will not be disappointed. Don't forget to make a wish! I also wanted to buy a rosary however the souviner shop was closed and no one was at the booth. Rosaries here run around 60 KC then go higher. Admission was not bad at 300 KC for two ppl.