Muzeum města Police nad Metují

The Town Museum of Police nad Metují occupies part of a former Benedictine monastery in Police nad Metují, a small town in the Broumovsko region of the Czech Republic, close to the Polish border. It's a rare case of a town history exhibit set inside rooms that once belonged to the monastery's highest-ranking residents.

Which part of the monastery houses the museum?

The exhibition takes up the first floor of the monastery wing — specifically the rooms originally built as the abbot's private residence. Tucked inside this section is a small Art Nouveau chapel that once served the abbot personally, one of the more unusual details visitors come across during a visit. The whole apartment underwent a thorough renovation completed in 2023, so today the historic rooms combine original architecture with a modern multimedia presentation.

How has the exhibition evolved?

The museum was founded in 1946 to preserve the town's history. Its first dedicated exhibition on the history of Police nad Metují opened in 1993, followed by a major expansion and redesign in 2007. The most recent development came in 2023, when new exhibition spaces opened inside what used to be the monastery's storage rooms. The site is currently run by Muzeum Náchodska, an institution that also operates several other museum branches across the region.

What will you actually see inside?

The centerpiece is a pair of modern audiovisual exhibitions installed in the renovated abbot's apartment. The first, "Benedictine Police Region — A Story from the Age of Medieval Colonization," traces how the monks shaped early settlement in the area. The second, "Folk Piety — A Land of Pilgrimage Sites, Miraculous Springs and Legends," looks at local folk religious traditions, closely tied to pilgrimage routes and regional folklore.

The same ticket also covers a separate building: an old two-story wooden schoolhouse from 1785 on Hvězdecká street. Inside, a period classroom has been reconstructed complete with a teacher and pupil figures, and additional rooms hold an exhibition on the history of textile production in the Police region — an industry that once drove the local economy for decades.

When should you visit, and how do you plan around it?

The museum runs on a seasonal schedule. In May and September it's open Thursday to Sunday, 12:00–16:30. In June the hours shift to Tuesday through Sunday, same times. July and August — peak season — bring extended hours, Tuesday to Sunday, 12:00–17:30. From October through April the museum is closed to individual visitors, though group tours can still be arranged outside these dates by phone or email directly with the museum administrator.

It's worth timing a visit around the first Wednesday of the month: whenever the museum happens to be open on that day, admission is free for everyone.

How much does it cost to get in?

Full admission is 120 CZK. A reduced rate of 90 CZK applies to children aged 5 and up, students up to age 26, and seniors over 65.

Frequently asked questions

Is the museum part of visiting the monastery in Police nad Metují? Yes — the exhibition occupies one floor of the monastery complex, specifically the former abbot's living quarters and its private chapel.

Does the ticket cover anything beyond the museum inside the monastery? Yes. The same ticket also grants access to the historic wooden schoolhouse from 1785 on Hvězdecká street, which includes a reconstructed period classroom and an exhibition on the region's textile-making traditions.

Is the museum open all year round? No. The visiting season runs from May through September, and the site is closed from October to April, when only pre-arranged group tours by phone or email are possible.

Who currently manages the museum? It's run by Muzeum Náchodska, the institution responsible for a network of museum sites across the Náchod region.