Chapel of Saint Elijah

The Chapel of Saint Elijah is one of the most unusual pieces of religious architecture in Prague's Malá Strana district – a small, early Baroque garden chapel built in the shape of an artificial cave, tucked among the trees of Vojan Gardens (Vojanovy sady). Its stalactite-covered facade and shell-and-mirror-encrusted interior make it one of the most photographed details of this quiet, historic garden in the heart of the city.

Why was a cave-shaped chapel built here?

The garden that now holds the chapel passed into the hands of the Discalced Carmelite convent in 1653, when Emperor Ferdinand III purchased the land and granted it to the order. The Carmelites settled here three years later and used the grounds as a monastery orchard for well over a century, until the order was dissolved in 1782. It was during this period, sometime between 1660 and 1670, that the chapel dedicated to the prophet Elijah was built. Elijah holds a special place in Carmelite tradition, regarded by the order as its spiritual founder, which explains why a chapel devoted to him became the centerpiece of the monks' garden.

What makes the chapel look like a grotto?

Baroque builders had a particular fondness for artificial grottoes, which combined the rugged look of natural rock with elaborate plasterwork. The entire facade of the Chapel of Saint Elijah is covered in stucco shaped to resemble stalactites, finished with carved zoomorphic details — a snake and a toad appear among the grotto ornamentation, a common motif in the grotesque garden-grotto style of the period. Thanks to angled, cut-off corners, the building's floor plan approaches the shape of a Latin cross, an unusually deliberate layout for such a small structure.

What is inside the chapel?

The interior is decorated just as densely as the outside. Stuccoed stalactites mix with real stones, shells, small mirrors, and fragments of coloured glass across the walls — a typical combination for Baroque grottoes, designed to catch the light and evoke a shimmering natural cave. On the ceiling, five oval painted scenes by an unknown artist depict episodes from the life of the prophet Elijah. Although the painter's identity has been lost, the scenes remain some of the best-preserved decorative elements in the chapel.

Does the chapel have a burial history?

Yes — tradition holds that the chapel originally stood above the grave of Saint Electa, the first prioress of the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Prague. That burial ties the building directly to the early history of the female branch of the order in the city, suggesting the chapel served a purpose well beyond simple garden decoration from the very start.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the chapel located? In Vojan Gardens (Vojanovy sady) in Prague's Malá Strana, on the grounds of the former Discalced Carmelite monastery garden.

When was the Chapel of Saint Elijah built? Between 1660 and 1670, while the garden belonged to the Discalced Carmelites.

Why is the chapel shaped like a cave? Artificial grottoes were a favourite Baroque architectural device, blending stalactite-imitating stucco with real natural materials — a popular feature in 17th-century monastery and palace gardens.

How is this chapel different from the other one in the same garden? Vojan Gardens contains a second small chapel, dedicated to Saint Teresa of Ávila, but it is a separate building located several dozen metres away, with its own distinct history and decoration.

Can visitors see inside the chapel? The chapel stands within a public garden, but access to its interior may be limited — it's worth checking locally, since it isn't always open to visitors.