Church of Saint Adalbert in Prague's New Town

The Church of Saint Adalbert is a modest but remarkably old parish church on Vojtěšská street in Prague's New Town, a short walk southeast of the National Theatre. Its story predates the founding of the New Town itself, and centuries of piecemeal rebuilding have left it with an irregular, layered footprint that is now protected as a cultural monument.

How old is this church, really?

The site's history likely goes back to the 13th century, when a settlement known as Podzderazí or V Jirchářích stood here — the name refers to the jircháři, leather tanners who worked along the Vltava riverbank in this area. The earliest written record of the church dates to 1318. What is now the church's side aisle is thought to be the surviving core of that original, small parish church built for the tanners' settlement.

What changed when Prague's New Town was founded?

Everything shifted after 1348, when Charles IV founded the New Town of Prague and absorbed the older suburban settlements into its new boundaries. The church was enlarged with a main nave to match its new status as a parish serving a growing city district. Records confirm a rectory attached to the church by 1367, and a parish school by 1413 — a sign of how established the community around it had become.

What did the Baroque rebuild add?

The next major turning point came between 1671 and 1693, when the church underwent a thorough Baroque renovation. Builders added a Chapel of the Holy Cross and a new sacristy, and reworked the windows and facades, giving the originally Gothic structure a distinctly Baroque overlay. Much of what visitors see today — alongside the medieval core — dates from this period.

What happened in the 19th century?

A further round of repairs in 1874–1876 saw the presbytery re-gothicized, moving it back toward its medieval appearance, and a new organ installed. That renovation also coincided with one of the church's most memorable episodes: between 1874 and 1876, the organist here was a young, still largely unknown Antonín Dvořák, who would go on to become one of the best-known Czech composers. Before him, from 1861 to 1874, the church choir was led by Josef Foerster as choirmaster.

Where exactly is it, and what does it look like today?

The church stands in Prague 1's New Town, on Vojtěšská street, in a quiet stretch of the district close to the Vltava riverbank and the National Theatre. Because of its layered building history, the church has an irregular shape: the older side aisle, the later main nave, the Baroque chapel and sacristy all sit together as a historically coherent but visually uneven whole. It remains an active parish church and is listed as a protected cultural monument.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Church of Saint Adalbert in the New Town located? On Vojtěšská street in Prague 1's New Town, close to the National Theatre.

How old is the church? Its roots go back to the 13th century and a tanners' settlement called Podzderazí; the first written mention dates from 1318.

Is this the same church as the one in Dejvice? No — this is a separate building in the New Town. A similarly named Church of Saint Adalbert also stands in Prague's Dejvice district, several kilometers away.

Which famous musician is associated with it? Between 1874 and 1876 its organist was a young Antonín Dvořák, before he became famous as a composer.

What architectural style is the church built in? It combines a medieval Gothic core with a Baroque rebuild from 1671–1693 and a re-gothicized presbytery from the 1870s renovation.