A CROSSROADS OF PILGRIMAGE ROUTES
Prague is often referred to as the golden city or the city of a hundred spires, as it is primarily church towers and spires that form her breathtaking panorama. Although the majority of Prague's ecclesiastical monuments, whose magnificent interiors originated predominantly in the Baroque period, continue to serve for religious purposes, they are open, with a few exceptions, to the general public. When opting for the following route, you will have an opportunity to examine the leading treasures of Prague's ecclesiastical architecture.

The Church of Our Lady before Týn
With its splendid interior and characteristic front facade graced by two towers, this significant Gothic monument forms the dominant feature of the Old Town Square. The church enshrines the mortal remains of a host of prominent personalities (the most famous relic is the tombstone of the astronomer Tycho de Brahe).

Clementinum
In the past, this former Jesuit monastery, the second largest historical complex in Prague after Prague Castle, was the spiritual centre of the movement to reinstall Catholicism as the local dominant religion and the focal point of education in Bohemia. Since 1777, after the Jesuit order was abolished, a large part of the complex has served as a university library. In 1791, on the occasion of the coronation of Leopold II, the grounds played host to the first exhibition of industrial products to be staged in continental Europe.

Bethlehem Chapel
Between 1402 and 1412, the Bethlehem Chapel in Prague served a venue for the sermons (and also as a residence) of Master Jan Hus (John Huss), the leading personality of the Czech Reformation movement. Inspired by the example of J. Wycliffe, Hus attempted to accomplish the reformation of the Christian church. Declared a heretic, he was burnt at the stake in 1415. His death triggered the Hussite revolution.

St Nicholas's Church in the Lesser Quarter
Crowned with a characteristic green dome and a tower, this masterpiece of the dynamic Baroque art dominates the Lesser Quarter located below Prague Castle. The church is considered to be the finest example of the illusive Roman Baroque style to be found in Prague. In the past, W. A. Mozart, among other musicians, used to perform on the organ placed in its interior.

St Vitus's Cathedral
In the past, the mortal remains of Czech saints, but also monarchs and church dignitaries were traditionally laid to rest in the grounds of Prague Castle. On the occasion of the foundation of the Archbishopric of Prague in 1344, Charles IV had a grand Gothic coronation and burial cathedral built on the ancient foundations here. Consecrated to St Vitus, over the course of many centuries the church has served as the focus of worship for the Czech patron saints.

Loreto
Legend has it that the house of the Virgin Mary in Nazareth was moved by angels to the Italian town of Loreto, where it was enclosed by a Renaissance chapel embellished with typical relief decoration. The Prague Loreto, attached to the Capuccin monastery in the Hradčany district, is a true replica of the Italian Santa Casa. The grounds of this pilgrimage site contain a treasury of rare liturgical objects dominated by a diamond monstrace called the Prague Sun. On the stroke of every hour, a lovely Marian song rings out from the carillon situated in the Loreto tower.

Strahov Monastery
This 12th-century Premonstratensian monastery, with its world-renowned library (medieval illuminated manuscripts, maps, globes and graphic works) was in the past one of the most prestigious centres of education in Europe. The monastery's current appearance is the result of early Gothic alterations, and especially of extensive reconstruction carried out in the Baroque period (J. B. Mathey, A. Lurago, I. J. Palliardi). Founded in 1836, the monastery picture gallery boasts one of the most remarkable monastic collections to be found in Central Europe.

Břevnov Monastery
This, the oldest monastery in Bohemia, was founded in 993 by Prince Boleslav I and the second bishop of Prague, St Adalbert, for the Benedictine order of monks. In the first half of the 18th century, a uniform Baroque complex with St Margaret's Church, the masterpiece of the famous architect K. Dienzenhofer, was built on the site of the original monastery.

TIP: The concert organ (dating from 1705) in St James's Church
The highlight of the many musical events taking place in Prague churches throughout the year is the organ concerts that are held in the Baroque Church of St James in the Old Town. The church boasts remarkable acoustics and a unique historical organ dating from 1705.