St. Nicholas Church in the Old Town Square

Baroque splendour in the heart of the Old Town Square — classical concerts in St. Nicholas Church, beneath Asam's frescoes and a tsar's crystal chandelier.

St. Nicholas Church on the Old Town Square is famous for some of the finest acoustics in Prague, and classical concerts here have become a long and popular tradition. Music lovers are welcome all year round — in winter, the church offers heated seats for a comfortable listening experience.

History of the Church

The church stands on one of the oldest church sites in Prague's Old Town. In 1635 it passed to the Benedictines of the Emmaus monastery, and the present building was constructed in 1732–1737 to the plans of the famous Prague Baroque architect Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer — considered one of his finest works, with an interior renowned for its complex layout and inspiring play of light. Since 1920 the church has been home to the Czechoslovak Hussite Church, which was founded here.

Art and Decoration

The stucco work is by Bernardo Spinetti, and the frescoes, painted in 1735–36 by the Bavarian artist Cosmas Damian Asam, depict scenes from the lives of St. Nicholas and St. Benedict. The sculptures come from the Prague workshop of Antonín Braun. The main altar of 1737 features imitation-marble pillars with gilded capitals, and the nave is dominated by a crown-shaped crystal chandelier from the Harrachov glassworks — a gift from the Russian Tsar, weighing around 1,400 kilograms.

The Organ

The baroque organ case from the mid-18th century, painted black and richly decorated with vases, floral ornaments and figures of trumpet-playing angels, belongs to the most beautiful in Prague; the instrument itself was renewed in 1949.