St. Nicolas Church in Old Town Square

There has been a church dedicated to St. Nicolas in the corner of Old Town Square in Prague for over 800 years. The one that stands today was built in the Baroque period between 1732 and 1737 by the significant Baroque architect Kilian Ignatius Dientzenhofer on the site once occupied by an early medieval church destroyed by fire. In 1920, the Czechoslovak Hussite Church was founded here, spreading the legacy of medieval religious reformer Jan Hus. This organization still operates the church in the present day.

The Church of St. Nicolas is situated just a few steps from the famous Astronomical Clock, which forms part of the Old Town Hall. Its sheer size will definitely impress you. It is easily recognized by its massive 46-metre-high dome and towers that are a mere one metre higher. Originally there was a staircase leading to just one of the towers. The second was connected to it by a wooden bridge on the front facade. It had no railing and crossing it required a degree of acrobatic skills. No wonder that it was here where Jean-Pierre Blanchard, the French balloonist who made the first aerial crossing of the English Channel, exhibited his ballooning equipment in 1791. A new staircase leading to the second tower was constructed in 1904.

The interior is decorated with ceiling frescoes depicting the lives of St. Nicolas and St. Benedict and motifs from the Old Testament. The main altar was made of artificial marble. In 1787 the church was shut down and the building was used for other purposes, such as high wire acts that took place in its cupola.

Today the building is open to the public. You can admire its interiors during regular church services and concerts of classical music.