Church of Saint Martin (Lipany, Prague)

The Church of Saint Martin in Lipany is a small Romanesque Revival church standing at the eastern edge of Prague, in the district of Lipany, part of the Praha-Kolovraty urban area (incorporated into Prague 10 on 24 November 1990). It's a site with a religious history stretching back centuries, even though the building visitors see today is considerably younger than the original church that once stood here.

What is the history of the church in Lipany?

A church already existed in Lipany before 1352, oriented on an east-west axis in keeping with medieval building tradition. The building did not survive the following centuries unscathed — it suffered serious damage during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), when Swedish troops plundered the church and made off with three of its bells. After the war it was only provisionally repaired, and from 1787 it was placed under the administration of the parish in Říčany.

The church had a wooden bell tower, but in 1863 the old building had to be demolished. Only a masonry tower from 1796 survived — the sole remnant of the older structure standing today. A smaller, Romanesque Revival church was built on the site, once again consecrated to Saint Martin, just like its predecessor.

What does the current building look like?

The present church is a modest, single-nave building with a semicircular apse and a tower, built in the 19th-century Romanesque Revival style that drew on medieval Romanesque forms. The nave is covered by a cross vault, and the interior is lit by a circular window set into the façade — a detail echoing the rose windows of older Romanesque churches, albeit in a much simplified form.

The building's plain massing and modest scale set it clearly apart from the monumental churches of central Prague. It's a typical rural parish church of the kind built on Prague's outskirts in the second half of the 19th century, even though its roots reach back to the Middle Ages.

Is the church a protected monument?

Yes. The Church of Saint Martin, together with the adjoining cemetery, is listed among the cultural monuments of the Czech Republic. The protection covers both the building itself and the historic parish cemetery that has stood alongside the church for centuries.

Are services still held here?

Yes, the church remains an active place of worship. Services are held regularly, on the second and fourth Sunday of each month — a typical schedule for smaller filial parish churches around Prague that don't have their own resident priest.

Why visit Lipany?

The Church of Saint Martin is a good example of small-scale sacred architecture on the fringes of a large city — a site that survived wars, demolitions and administrative changes while maintaining an unbroken religious function dating back to the Middle Ages. For anyone interested in local history or the rural churches scattered around the Prague metropolitan area, it's a quiet, low-key stop well away from the crowds of the city centre.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the church located? In the district of Lipany, on the eastern edge of Prague, within the Praha-Kolovraty urban area (Prague 10).

Who is the church dedicated to? Saint Martin, the same as its historic predecessor that stood on this site.

Has the original medieval building survived? Not in full. The original church, dating from before 1352, was demolished in 1863 — only the tower from 1796 survived, and a new Romanesque Revival church was built alongside it.

Is there a cemetery next to the church? Yes, the historic cemetery adjoining the church is also protected as a cultural monument.

When are services held? On the second and fourth Sunday of each month.