Church of St. Peter at Poříčí

Church of St. Peter at Poříčí stands on Biskupská Street in Prague's New Town (Nové Město) and is dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle. It ranks among the handful of surviving Romanesque church buildings in Prague, and its walls still carry the marks of several building phases — Romanesque, Gothic, and later additions.

Why "at Poříčí"?

The name refers to a former riverside settlement called Poříčí, which once stood along the Vltava outside the walls of medieval Prague. The church was built to serve as the parish church for the German-speaking community living there, and the same name lives on today in Petrské náměstí, the square where the building stands. The settlement itself was gradually absorbed as New Town expanded, but its name survived through the church.

What did the original Romanesque church look like?

The current building goes back to the second half of the 12th century, a period often described as the high point of Romanesque architecture in Bohemia. A stone, three-nave basilica was raised here, with a west-facing gallery (tribune) and two flanking towers, and a choir closed by a squared apse with a rounded apsidiole. Those two western towers have survived to the present day and remain the oldest and most recognizable part of the church — a rare, legible trace of 12th-century church-building in Prague.

How did the Gothic rebuilding change the church?

During the 14th and 15th centuries the church underwent a substantial Gothic remodeling, while the Romanesque west towers were kept in place. In 1508 a free-standing bell tower was added next to the church, becoming a further vertical landmark of its own. Taken together, these building phases have left the church with four towers contributing to the skyline of New Town — an unusual number for a Prague parish church.

Where exactly is the church located?

The church stands on Biskupská Street in New Town, right next to Petrské náměstí, within easy walking distance of central Prague. Its coordinates are 50.09125, 14.43444444.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the church dedicated to? It is dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle, patron of the church since it was first founded as a parish for the Poříčí settlement.

How many towers does the church have? Four in total: the two Romanesque towers from the 12th-century west front, plus additional vertical elements including the free-standing bell tower added in 1508.

Is this one of Prague's oldest churches? Yes — it is among the oldest surviving Romanesque church buildings in Prague, dating back to the second half of the 12th century, although it was substantially rebuilt in Gothic style in later centuries.

Is the church still an active place of worship? Yes, it is an active Roman Catholic church located in Prague's New Town.

How do you get there? The church sits in the central part of New Town on Biskupská Street, an easy walk from the Old Town and Prague's main city-centre transport hubs.