Church of Saint Bartholomew

St. Bartholomew's Church is a small but richly decorated High Baroque church tucked away on the quiet Bartolomějská street in Prague's Old Town. Easy to walk past unnoticed from the outside, it hides one of the more striking Baroque interiors in this part of the city.

Where is it, and how do you get there?

The church stands on Bartolomějská street, a short walk from Charles Square and National Avenue, right in the heart of the Old Town. It sits within the dense network of narrow lanes typical of Prague's historic core, close to where the medieval city walls once ran, and is easily reached on foot from almost anywhere in the centre. Its coordinates are 50.08291 N, 14.41721 E.

Where did this church come from?

The church was built between 1726 and 1731 to a design by Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, one of the leading architects of Prague Baroque, responsible for numerous religious buildings across the city. It replaced an older chapel that had previously stood on the same site, and was consecrated in 1731. From the outset it served as a Jesuit church, linked to a nearby convict (boarding college) run by the order.

The building's role changed sharply in 1773, when the Jesuit order was dissolved as part of the Josephine church reforms. The church lost its original function tied to the order's activity, though the structure itself survived and has remained in use as a place of worship.

What's worth seeing inside?

The church has an irregular floor plan, a direct result of fitting the building onto a tight, densely built plot within the Old Town. This unusual geometry forced the architect into complex spatial solutions that remain one of the more interesting aspects of a visit today.

The plain street facade stands in sharp contrast to the interior, which is richly decorated with artificial marble and gilding typical of mature Central European Baroque. Visitors are also drawn to the paintings by Václav Vavřinec Reiner, one of the most important Czech Baroque painters, known for illusionistic wall and ceiling compositions carried out in numerous Prague churches of the period.

Who is this place for?

This is a stop for visitors interested in sacred architecture and the history of religious orders in Bohemia, rather than a must-see for every Old Town tourist. The church's intimate scale means you can take in the interior details at your own pace, without the crowds found at some of the better-known Prague churches just a few streets away.

Frequently asked questions

When was St. Bartholomew's Church built? It was constructed between 1726 and 1731 to a design by architect Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, on the site of an earlier chapel.

Was it originally a monastic church? Yes, it was originally a Jesuit church, linked to a nearby convict run by the order, until the order was dissolved in 1773 as part of the Josephine reforms.

What's the highlight of the interior? The rich decoration in artificial marble and gilding, along with paintings by Václav Vavřinec Reiner, which contrast sharply with the building's plain exterior facade.

Where exactly is the church located? On Bartolomějská street in Prague's Old Town, near Charles Square, at coordinates 50.08291 N, 14.41721 E.