16 Best Sights in Prague, Czech Republic

With its graceful, soaring towers, this Gothic cathedral—among the most beautiful in Europe—is the spiritual heart of Prague Castle and of the Czech Republic itself. The cathedral has a long and complicated history, beginning in the 10th century and continuing to its completion in 1929. Inside, the six stained-glass windows to your left and right and the large rose window behind are modern masterpieces; see if you can spot the contributions of art nouveau master Alfons Mucha. Other highlights include the Svatováclavská kaple (Chapel of St. Wenceslas); the Kralovské oratorium (Royal Oratory), a perfect example of late Gothic architecture; the ornate silver sarcophagus of St. John of Nepomuk; and the eight chapels around the back of the cathedral. Don’t miss the Last Judgment mosaic on the south side of the cathedral’s exterior, constructed from a million glass and stone tesserae and dating from the 1370s. It's possible to enter the cathedral for free to take in the splendor from the back, but for the full experience, buy a ticket and walk around. Cathedral entry is included in the combined ticket to see the main castle sights; an audio guide is highly recommended.

If you've had your fill of Romanesque, Gothic, and baroque, this church offers a startlingly modernist alternative. Designed in 1927 by Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik—the same architect who updated Prague Castle and who almost single-handedly designed the modern city of Ljubljana—the art deco edifice of this church resembles a luxury ocean liner more than a place of worship, topped by a tower with an enormous glazed clock. The effect was purposeful, as during the 1920s and 1930s the avant-garde imitated mammoth objects of modern technology. The interior decor is equally striking, particularly the altar, overlooked by a 10-foot-high gilded figure of Christ, flanked by six Czech patron saints. It's hard to miss the structure, which looms as you exit the Metro.

While the front door (with a view of the interior) is open 9 to 5 every day, entrance is allowed only 45 minutes before and after mass.

Sitting outside the castle complex, the sometimes-overlooked Loreta is home to one of Prague's greatest architectural treasures: a replica of the original Santa Casa, said to be the house in Nazareth where the Archangel Gabriel first appeared to the Virgin Mary. Constructed in the early 1620s and a place of pilgrimage for 400 years, the building is covered in spectacular stucco figures of Old Testament prophets and scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. The cloisters surrounding the casa are also home to treasures of their own, including beautiful frescoes, sculpted fountains, and soaring bell towers. Look out for the Prague Sun monstrance, an incredibly valuable golden vessel encrusted with thousands of diamonds.

This incredibly moving monument to the seven Czech and Slovak parachutists who assassinated the Nazi "Butcher of Prague," Reinhard Heydrich, in 1942, tells their astonishing story—the movie Anthropoid is based on what took place—and takes visitors into the crypt where they made their last, doomed stand against the occupying authorities, underneath the Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius.

Inside, this church looks more or less as it did in the 12th century; it's the best-preserved Romanesque relic in the country. The effect is at once barnlike and peaceful, as the warm golden yellow of the stone walls and the small arched windows exude a sense of enduring harmony. Prince Vratislav I originally built it in the 10th century, though only the foundations remain from that time. The father of Prince Wenceslas (of Christmas carol fame) dedicated it to St. George (of dragon fame), a figure supposedly more agreeable to the still largely pagan people. The outside was remodeled during early baroque times, although the striking rusty-red color is in keeping with the look of the Romanesque edifice. The painted, house-shape tomb at the front of the church holds Vratislav's remains. Up the steps, in a chapel to the right, is the tomb Peter Parler designed for St. Ludmila, grandmother of St. Wenceslas.

The original church was built at the end of the 14th century, and the Czech religious reformer Jan Hus was a regular preacher here from 1402 until his exile in 1412. Here he gave the mass in "vulgar" Czech—not in Latin as the church in Rome demanded. After the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century, the chapel fell into the hands of the Jesuits and was demolished in 1786. Excavations carried out after World War I uncovered the original portal and three windows; the entire church was reconstructed during the 1950s. Although little remains of the first church, some remnants of Hus's teachings can still be read on the inside walls.

Another of Charles IV's gifts to the city, the Benedictine monastery sits south of Charles Square. It's often called Na Slovanech (literally, "At the Slavs"), which refers to its purpose when established in 1347. The emperor invited Croatian monks here to celebrate mass in Old Slavonic and thus cultivate religion among the Slavs in a city largely controlled by Germans. A faded but substantially complete cycle of biblical scenes by Charles's court artists lines the four cloister walls. The frescoes, and especially the abbey church, suffered heavy damage from a raid by Allied bombers on February 14, 1945; it's believed they may have mistaken Prague for Dresden, 121 km (75 miles) away. The church lost its spires, and the interior remained a blackened shell until a renovation was begun in 1998; the church reopened to the public in 2003.

The twin-spired Týn Church is an Old Town Square landmark and one of the city's best examples of Gothic architecture, looming over the former school  building below. The church's exterior was in part the work of Peter Parler, the architect responsible for the Charles Bridge and Katedrála sv. Víta (St. Vitus Cathedral). Construction of the twin black-spire towers began a little later, in 1461, by King Jiří of Poděbrady, during the heyday of the Hussites. Jiří had a gilded chalice, the symbol of the Hussites, proudly displayed on the front gable between the two towers. Following the defeat of the Czech Protestants by the Catholic Habsburgs in the 17th century, the chalice was melted down and made into the Madonna's glimmering halo (you can still see it resting between the spires). Much of the interior, including the tall nave, was rebuilt in the baroque style in the 17th century. Some Gothic pieces remain, however: look to the left of the main altar for a beautifully preserved set of early carvings. The main altar itself was painted by Karel Škréta, a luminary of the Czech baroque. The church also houses the tomb of renowned Danish (and Prague court) astronomer Tycho Brahe, who died in 1601. The church's full name---Church of Our Lady before Týn---comes from the name of the courtyard behind it. 

This beautiful church with its poetic name (Church of Our Lady of the Snows---one of the titles used for the Virgin Mary in Catholicism) was intended to rival Katedrála sv. Víta (St. Vitus Cathedral), in the castle complex, for grandeur when Charles IV started building it in the 14th century. Alas, it was never finished, and still has a slightly odd shape as a result of that today, taller than it is long. It has the highest vaults and column altar in the city.

This beautiful church is home to Prague's most famous religious artifact, the Pražské Jezulátko (Infant Jesus of Prague). Originally brought to Prague from Spain in the 16th century, the wax doll holds a reputation for bestowing miracles on many who have prayed for its help. A measure of its widespread attraction is reflected in the prayer books on the kneelers in front of the statue, which have prayers of intercession in 20 different languages. The Bambino, as he's known locally, has an enormous and incredibly ornate wardrobe, some of which is on display in a museum upstairs. Nuns from a nearby convent change the outfit on the statue regularly. Don't miss the souvenir shop (accessible via a doorway to the right of the main altar), where the Bambino's custodians flex their marketing skills.

A Karlín landmark and one of the largest religious buildings in Prague, this unmistakable black-and-white church is dedicated to the Orthodox missionary brothers Cyril and Methodius, who are credited with spreading the Christian faith through the Slavic lands. It was consecrated in 1863, exactly 1,000 years after the brothers started their important work. Head inside the neo-Romanesque basilica to discover decorative pillars, intricately painted ceilings, and an art nouveau baptismal chapel. The church is on the neighborhood's main square, Karlínské náměstí, which regularly hosts farmers' markets, festivals, and cultural events.

Replete with buttresses and a characteristic portal, this church's exterior is a powerful and beautiful example of Gothic architecture—famed Czech director Miloš Forman certainly thought so, shooting some of his hit film Amadeus inside. An important outpost of Czech Protestantism in the 16th century, the church reflects baroque style inside, with a design by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and sweeping frescoes by Václav Reiner. The interior can be viewed during the day from the vestibule or at the evening concerts held several times a week.

It was here, in this humble-looking corner church, that Holy Communion was first given to the Bohemian laity in the form of both bread and wine, way back in 1414. (The Catholic custom of the time dictated only bread would be offered to the masses, with wine reserved for priests and clergy.) From then on, the chalice came to symbolize the Hussite movement. The church's interior doesn't rival other grander religious buildings in Staré Mĕsto, but neverthless it is open to the public for a quick peek every afternoon. German- and Czech-language services are held, too, and evening concerts.

While there has been a site of worship at this location since the 13th century, the church still standing was designed in the 18th century by Prague's own master of late baroque, Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer. Overall, it's probably less successful in capturing the style's lyric exuberance than its name-twin across town, the Kostel sv. Mikulase (Church of St. Nicholas) in Mala Strana; but Dientzenhofer utilized the limited space to create a well-balanced structure, and it can offer a moment of peace from Staré Mĕsto crowds. The interior is compact, with a beautiful chandelier and an enormous black organ that overwhelms the rear of the church. Afternoon and evening concerts for visitors are held almost continuously—walk past and you're sure to get leafleted for one.

With its dynamic curves, this church is arguably the purest and most ambitious example of high baroque in Prague. The celebrated architect Christoph Dientzenhofer began the Jesuit church in 1704 on the site of one of the more active Hussite churches of 15th-century Prague. Work on the building was taken over by his son Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, who built the dome and presbytery. Anselmo Lurago completed the whole thing in 1755 by adding the bell tower. The juxtaposition of the broad, full-bodied dome with the slender bell tower is one of the many striking architectural contrasts that mark the Prague skyline. Inside, the vast pink-and-green space is impossible to take in with a single glance. Every corner bristles with life, guiding the eye first to the dramatic statues, then to the hectic frescoes, and on to the shining faux-marble pillars. Many of the statues are the work of Ignaz Platzer and constitute his last blaze of success. Platzer's workshop was forced to declare bankruptcy when the centralizing and secularizing reforms of Joseph II toward the end of the 18th century brought an end to the flamboyant baroque era. The tower, with an entrance on the side of the church, is open in summer. The church also hosts chamber music concerts in summer, which complement this eye-popping setting but do not reflect the true caliber of classical music in Prague. For that, check the schedule posted across the street at Líchtenštejnský palác (Liechtenstein Palace), where the faculty of HAMU, the city's premier music academy, sometimes also gives performances.

It's hard to miss this church—a striking constructivist work of art that, at 164 feet high, dominates the Vršovice skyline. Built in 1930 to commemorate 1,000 years since the death of St. Wenceslas, the building's most striking feature is its skyscraping white clock tower, topped by a 23-foot-high gold cross. It's worth a visit to see the exterior alone (and the lovely surrounding park), but for a peek inside, doors are usually open between 8 and 1 on Sunday for services. There are also occasional morning and evening services during the week; check the website in advance for more information.