St Nicholas Church, Old Town Square, Prague
Prague has two Baroque churches dedicated to St Nicholas, both designed by members of the same architect family, and travel sites mix them up constantly. This is the one on Old Town Square — free to enter, run today by the Czechoslovak Hussite Church, and worth five minutes even if you're only here for the astronomical clock.
Rebuilt after White Mountain
A parish church has stood on this corner since at least 1273. After the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, Benedictine monks took over the site and, rather than repair the ageing Gothic building, demolished it and started again. Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer designed the replacement, built 1732–37: a Greek-cross plan under a large octagonal dome, with facade sculpture by Antonín Braun and dome frescoes by the Bavarian painter Cosmas Damian Asam depicting the lives of St Nicholas and St Benedict.
From monastery to Hussite parish
Emperor Joseph II dissolved the monastery in 1787 and the church was deconsecrated — for over a century it served as a grain store, an archive, a garrison chapel, and even a venue for popular entertainment, including a 1791 exhibition by the balloonist Jean-Pierre Blanchard. From 1871 it was leased to Prague's Russian Orthodox congregation. In 1920 the newly founded Czechoslovak Hussite Church took it over as its principal Prague parish, which it remains today — making this, unusually for a building this ornate, neither a Catholic nor an Orthodox church now.
The visitor's cheat sheet
| Where | Staroměstské náměstí 1101, Staré Město, Prague 1 — the northwest corner of Old Town Square |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Metro Line A to Staréměstská, or any tram to Old Town Square; entirely walkable from Charles Bridge |
| Opening hours | Daily, roughly 10am–5pm, subject to closure for weddings, baptisms or evening concerts — sightseeing access is via a side door near Franz Kafka Square, not the main doors facing the square |
| Admission | Free for daytime sightseeing. Evening concerts are separately ticketed, roughly 500–600 Kč |
| How long | 10–20 minutes, or about an hour if you stay for a concert |
| Best time | Before 11am, ahead of the worst of the Old Town Square crowds |
| Dress code | No published rule |
| Photography | No published restriction found |
The one thing people get wrong. This is not the famous St Nicholas Church. That one is across the river in Malá Strana — larger, Roman Catholic, and charges admission. This one, on Old Town Square, is free, Hussite, and even some travel sites manage to publish the wrong photos under the wrong name. Check you're reading about the right building.
Tickets and tours
Hear it, don't just look at it
The building's acoustics and Baroque interior are best experienced at one of the regular evening classical or organ concerts — a way to see the church lit and in use, rather than as a static daytime stop.
Tour and hotel links go to GetYourGuide and Booking.com. This site earns nothing from them at present — they are here because they are the quickest way to check what is actually available.
Don't miss
- The crystal chandelier A Harrachov glassworks chandelier roughly 4.5 metres across and well over a tonne, hanging in the nave — commonly said to be a gift from a Russian Tsar to the Orthodox congregation that used the church from 1871.
- The dome frescoes Cosmas Damian Asam's ceiling paintings on the lives of St Nicholas and St Benedict.
- The white Baroque facade Hidden from the square by an adjoining building until it was demolished in 1902 — worth a pause from the square itself to see how it plays against the Gothic Týn towers opposite.
- The columbarium A lesser-known niche chamber inside the church, still in use, open after services.
- An evening concert The interior lit and acoustics live, a different experience from a daytime walk-through.
Insider tips
Use the side entrance. During sightseeing hours, visitors go in through a side door near Franz Kafka Square, not the grand doors facing Old Town Square — don't waste time circling the building looking for the “front” entrance.
Concert flyers are usually handed out in front of the church during the day — a good moment to decide whether to come back that evening.
Bring a layer if you're attending a concert. The church is heated, but visitors consistently describe it as cold even so.
Common questions
Are there two St Nicholas churches in Prague?
Yes. This one is on Old Town Square, free and run by the Czechoslovak Hussite Church. The other, larger and Roman Catholic, is across the river in Malá Strana and charges admission.
Is St Nicholas Church on Old Town Square free to enter?
Yes, free for daytime sightseeing. Evening concerts are separately ticketed, roughly 500–600 Kč.
What denomination is the church today?
The Czechoslovak Hussite Church, which took it over as its principal Prague parish in 1920 — making it, unusually for a building this ornate, neither Catholic nor Orthodox now.
Which entrance should I use?
The side door near Franz Kafka Square, not the grand doors facing Old Town Square, which aren’t used for sightseeing access.
Is it worth attending a concert here?
Yes — it’s a different experience from a daytime walk-through, with the interior lit and the acoustics live. Flyers are usually handed out in front of the church during the day.
Where to stay and eat nearby
Old Town Square is the most central, most expensive, and most crowded base in Prague. It's convenient for sightseeing but noisy and pricey after dark — a few streets back in either direction buys quieter nights and cheaper meals without losing the walkable location.
Nearby churches
- Church of Our Lady before Týn — directly across the square
- St Nicholas Church, Malá Strana — the other, larger St Nicholas, across the river
- St Vitus Cathedral — inside Prague Castle