Czech Republic Guide
Central Bohemia
Sázava
Rising majestically above the slow-moving Sázava river is the Sázavský klášter and zámek (April & Oct Sat & Sun 9am– noon & 1–4pm; May– Aug Tues– Sun 9am– noon & 1–6pm; Sept Tues– Sun 9am– noon & 1–5pm; 70Kč, 140Kč for a 1hr guided tour in English; 
www.klaster-sazava.cz ). The monastery was founded by the eleventh-century Prince Oldřich, on the instigation of a passing hermit called Prokop (St Procopius), whom he met by chance in the forest. Prokop became the first abbot of what was initially a Slavonic monastery, and, for a while, Sázava became an important centre for the dissemination of Slavonic texts. Later, a large Gothic church was planned, and this now bares its red sandstone nave to the world, incomplete but intact. The chancel was converted into a Baroque church, later bought by the Tiegel family, who started to build themselves a modest chateau. Of this architectural miscellany, only the surviving Gothic frescoes – of a sophistication unmatched in Bohemian art at the time – are truly memorable. The village itself thrived on the glass trade, and the rest of the monastery's guided tour concentrates on the local glassware.
The quickest way to reach Sázava by train is to change at Čerčany; the train station (Sázava-Černé Budy) is a fifteen-minute walk across the river from the monastery. For simple accommodation try the Hostinec za vodou ( 
777 802 827, www.sazavahostineczavodou.cz ; Price: Under 500Kč), right by the road bridge, which serves huge meals on its summer terrace.