Church of St John Nepomucene of the Rock in Prague

The Church of St John of Nepomuk on the Rock rises above Vyšehradská street in Prague's New Town, right next to the Emmaus Monastery and the Chapel of Saints Cosmas and Damian. Its twin-towered, convex facade makes it one of the most recognisable Baroque landmarks designed by architect Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer.

How did the church come into being?

A wooden chapel first stood on the site, founded in 1691 by New Town burgher Kristián Florián Höger and dedicated to John of Nepomuk three decades before his canonisation. The chapel was consecrated on 16 May 1697. As devotion to the saint grew, the parish decided to replace it with a stone church on the same spot, and the foundation stone was laid at the end of August 1730.

Who designed it, and how long did construction take?

The commission went to Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer (1689–1751), one of the leading architects of Prague High Baroque. Construction itself took eight years, from 1730 to 1738, while the interior fittings were not finished until 1753. Count K. G. Schafgotsch funded the church's furnishings as a single, unified commission between 1739 and 1749.

What makes the architecture distinctive?

The central space is built on an octagonal plan with convexly curved walls, closed off by a canopy vault, with oval side chapels attached on opposite sides. The facade, inspired by Viennese architecture, bulges outward and is flanked at an angle by two towers — the arrangement that gives the church its striking silhouette above Vyšehradská street. A double-armed open staircase leads up to the entrance; it was completed in 1776 and topped with statues of saints along its balustrade.

What is there to see inside?

The interior is decorated with frescoes dating from 1738. The pulpit was carved by F. I. Platzer. The main altar holds a statue of St John of Nepomuk from 1682 by Jan Brokoff — the wooden model later used for the saint's stone statue on Charles Bridge.

Is the church still used for worship?

Yes. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 11:00 a.m. in German for Prague's German-speaking Catholic community, and on Saturdays the church opens from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. for quiet prayer and visits.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the church located? On Vyšehradská street in Prague's New Town, close to Karlovo náměstí and next door to the Emmaus Monastery.

Who was the architect? Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, one of Prague's foremost Baroque builders, responsible for several churches across the city.

How is this church different from the nearby Emmaus Monastery? It is a separate, much smaller parish church, built at a different time and by a different architect than the Benedictine Emmaus Monastery, even though the two buildings stand side by side on the same hill.

Can visitors go inside? Yes, during the posted Saturday afternoon hours and during Sunday Mass.

Why is it called "on the Rock"? The name refers to the church's raised, rocky site above street level, reached by the steep staircase leading up from Vyšehradská.