Church of Saint Wenceslaus

Church of Saint Wenceslaus in Prague's Dejvice district is a small monastic church now run by Franciscan sisters, tucked inside the grounds of a former provost's manor. It's an easy stop for anyone curious how a modest 20th-century chapel conversion carries traces of a settlement going back nearly a thousand years.

Where is it and how do you get there?

The church stands on Proboštská street in Prague 6 – Dejvice, within walking distance of two Metro A stations, Dejvická and Bořislavka. It sits off the main tourist trail, but the transport links make it an easy detour.

What was here before the church?

The site was originally the Proboštský dvůr (Provost's Court), an estate that already served as the administrative center of old Dejvice back in the 11th century. In the 17th century it formally became the property of the provost of the St. Vitus Cathedral chapter, and after the Battle of White Mountain it was managed directly by the provost himself. By the 18th century the estate covered roughly 300 hectares. The court's buildings weren't spared from turmoil either — in 1742, during the War of the Austrian Succession, they burned down more than once, partly due to French troops passing through.

When was the church itself built?

The building visitors see today dates only to the end of World War I, when an existing manor chapel on the site was rebuilt and given its current Neo-Romanesque form. The exact consecration date has been lost, but the anniversary is still marked every year at the end of October.

What happened here in the 20th century?

Around 1908–1909, an orphanage for roughly 40 deaf-blind children opened on the grounds, run by the Sisters of Divine Love. Then in 1927, the church and its surrounding buildings passed to the newly founded Congregation of the Sisters of the Apostolate of Saint Francis, established by Father Jan Evangelista Urban. The sisters still maintain the church today; the complex underwent a major renovation around the turn of the 1980s and 1990s.

What's inside?

The presbytery holds frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Saint Wenceslaus, the church's patron. Along the nave, wooden Stations of the Cross were carved in the austere Beuron style, and the church also keeps a wooden nativity crib. One detail stands out: the church has never had a pipe organ — a harmonium has provided the music since it first opened.

Is it a protected monument?

Yes. The building has been legally protected as a cultural monument since 1964. Since 2005 it has held the status of a rectory church (not a parish church), and remains under the care of the Franciscan sisters.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as the well-known Church of St. Wenceslaus in Vršovice? No. They share a patron saint but are entirely separate buildings — this one is in Dejvice, on Proboštská street, with its own distinct history and architecture.

How do you get there? The easiest way is Metro line A — both Dejvická and Bořislavka stations are within a short walk.

Are services still held here? Yes, as a rectory church run by the Franciscan sisters it still functions liturgically, even without parish status.

Can visitors go inside? The church belongs to the sisters' convent, so access may be limited to service times — it's worth checking locally or in advance.