Church of Our Lady before Tyn (Tyn Church)

About the venue

Beneath the twin Gothic towers of the Old Town Square — concerts in Týn Church, home to Prague's oldest organ and the tomb of Tycho Brahe.

Týn Church — the Church of Our Lady before Týn — dominates the Old Town Square with its twin Gothic towers, visible from all over Prague. Alongside regular Roman Catholic services, this magnificent Gothic church with a Baroque interior also hosts classical music concerts.

From Merchant Court to the Main Church of the Old Town

Originally, a small church stood at the gate of the Týn court (also called Ungelt), serving the community of foreign merchants. In the 14th century it was replaced by a magnificent high-Gothic temple, conceived as the Old Town counterpart to St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle. In the Hussite era, Týn Church became the most important church in town and the main church of the Utraquists. After the re-catholicization of the country following 1620, the golden chalice that adorned the gable was taken down and melted — its gold now shines in the halo of the statue of the Madonna between the towers. In 1679 a fire led to the interior being reworked in Baroque style, with the main aisle newly vaulted.

Adam and Eve — the Twin Towers

The towers are around 80 metres high — and from the Old Town Square it becomes evident they are not symmetrical. The larger one is called Adam, the slimmer one Eve, a playful representation of the masculine and feminine sides of the world characteristic of the Gothic architecture of the period. Legend has it that the Týn towers gave Walt Disney the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle. True or not, the church is an impressive sight during the day — and even more so at night, brightly lit against the dark sky.

Treasures of the Interior

Both the exterior and interior of the church are decorated with unique works of art: Passion scenes on the tympanum of the north portal, altar paintings by the renowned Czech Baroque painter Karel Škréta and his contemporaries, a pewter Gothic font, and the Renaissance tomb of Tycho Brahe, the famous Danish astronomer at the court of Emperor Rudolf II, who was buried here in 1601. The organ, built in 1673 by Johann Heinrich Mundt and carefully restored in 2000, is the oldest in Prague.

Upcoming concerts at this venue

Address
Old Town sq. 14, Prague 1
How to get there

Metro:
Line A (green) - Staromestska stop
Line B (yellow) - Namesti Republiky stop

Tram:
No. 5, 8, 24, 26 - Namesti Republiky stop

Map
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