11 Best Sights in Prague, Czech Republic

If you've had your fill of Romanesque, Gothic, and baroque, this church offers a startlingly modernist alternative. Designed in 1927 by Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik—the same architect who updated Prague Castle and who almost single-handedly designed the modern city of Ljubljana—the art deco edifice of this church resembles a luxury ocean liner more than a place of worship, topped by a tower with an enormous glazed clock. The effect was purposeful, as during the 1920s and 1930s the avant-garde imitated mammoth objects of modern technology. The interior decor is equally striking, particularly the altar, overlooked by a 10-foot-high gilded figure of Christ, flanked by six Czech patron saints. It's hard to miss the structure, which looms as you exit the Metro.

While the front door (with a view of the interior) is open 9 to 5 every day, entrance is allowed only 45 minutes before and after mass.

Sitting outside the castle complex, the sometimes-overlooked Loreta is home to one of Prague's greatest architectural treasures: a replica of the original Santa Casa, said to be the house in Nazareth where the Archangel Gabriel first appeared to the Virgin Mary. Constructed in the early 1620s and a place of pilgrimage for 400 years, the building is covered in spectacular stucco figures of Old Testament prophets and scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. The cloisters surrounding the casa are also home to treasures of their own, including beautiful frescoes, sculpted fountains, and soaring bell towers. Look out for the Prague Sun monstrance, an incredibly valuable golden vessel encrusted with thousands of diamonds.

This incredibly moving monument to the seven Czech and Slovak parachutists who assassinated the Nazi "Butcher of Prague," Reinhard Heydrich, in 1942, tells their astonishing story—the movie Anthropoid is based on what took place—and takes visitors into the crypt where they made their last, doomed stand against the occupying authorities, underneath the Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius.

The original church was built at the end of the 14th century, and the Czech religious reformer Jan Hus was a regular preacher here from 1402 until his exile in 1412. Here he gave the mass in "vulgar" Czech—not in Latin as the church in Rome demanded. After the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century, the chapel fell into the hands of the Jesuits and was demolished in 1786. Excavations carried out after World War I uncovered the original portal and three windows; the entire church was reconstructed during the 1950s. Although little remains of the first church, some remnants of Hus's teachings can still be read on the inside walls.

Another of Charles IV's gifts to the city, the Benedictine monastery sits south of Charles Square. It's often called Na Slovanech (literally, "At the Slavs"), which refers to its purpose when established in 1347. The emperor invited Croatian monks here to celebrate mass in Old Slavonic and thus cultivate religion among the Slavs in a city largely controlled by Germans. A faded but substantially complete cycle of biblical scenes by Charles's court artists lines the four cloister walls. The frescoes, and especially the abbey church, suffered heavy damage from a raid by Allied bombers on February 14, 1945; it's believed they may have mistaken Prague for Dresden, 121 km (75 miles) away. The church lost its spires, and the interior remained a blackened shell until a renovation was begun in 1998; the church reopened to the public in 2003.

This beautiful church with its poetic name (Church of Our Lady of the Snows---one of the titles used for the Virgin Mary in Catholicism) was intended to rival Katedrála sv. Víta (St. Vitus Cathedral), in the castle complex, for grandeur when Charles IV started building it in the 14th century. Alas, it was never finished, and still has a slightly odd shape as a result of that today, taller than it is long. It has the highest vaults and column altar in the city.

This beautiful church is home to Prague's most famous religious artifact, the Pražské Jezulátko (Infant Jesus of Prague). Originally brought to Prague from Spain in the 16th century, the wax doll holds a reputation for bestowing miracles on many who have prayed for its help. A measure of its widespread attraction is reflected in the prayer books on the kneelers in front of the statue, which have prayers of intercession in 20 different languages. The Bambino, as he's known locally, has an enormous and incredibly ornate wardrobe, some of which is on display in a museum upstairs. Nuns from a nearby convent change the outfit on the statue regularly. Don't miss the souvenir shop (accessible via a doorway to the right of the main altar), where the Bambino's custodians flex their marketing skills.

A Karlín landmark and one of the largest religious buildings in Prague, this unmistakable black-and-white church is dedicated to the Orthodox missionary brothers Cyril and Methodius, who are credited with spreading the Christian faith through the Slavic lands. It was consecrated in 1863, exactly 1,000 years after the brothers started their important work. Head inside the neo-Romanesque basilica to discover decorative pillars, intricately painted ceilings, and an art nouveau baptismal chapel. The church is on the neighborhood's main square, Karlínské náměstí, which regularly hosts farmers' markets, festivals, and cultural events.

Replete with buttresses and a characteristic portal, this church's exterior is a powerful and beautiful example of Gothic architecture—famed Czech director Miloš Forman certainly thought so, shooting some of his hit film Amadeus inside. An important outpost of Czech Protestantism in the 16th century, the church reflects baroque style inside, with a design by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and sweeping frescoes by Václav Reiner. The interior can be viewed during the day from the vestibule or at the evening concerts held several times a week.

While there has been a site of worship at this location since the 13th century, the church still standing was designed in the 18th century by Prague's own master of late baroque, Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer. Overall, it's probably less successful in capturing the style's lyric exuberance than its name-twin across town, the Kostel sv. Mikulase (Church of St. Nicholas) in Mala Strana; but Dientzenhofer utilized the limited space to create a well-balanced structure, and it can offer a moment of peace from Staré Mĕsto crowds. The interior is compact, with a beautiful chandelier and an enormous black organ that overwhelms the rear of the church. Afternoon and evening concerts for visitors are held almost continuously—walk past and you're sure to get leafleted for one.

It's hard to miss this church—a striking constructivist work of art that, at 164 feet high, dominates the Vršovice skyline. Built in 1930 to commemorate 1,000 years since the death of St. Wenceslas, the building's most striking feature is its skyscraping white clock tower, topped by a 23-foot-high gold cross. It's worth a visit to see the exterior alone (and the lovely surrounding park), but for a peek inside, doors are usually open between 8 and 1 on Sunday for services. There are also occasional morning and evening services during the week; check the website in advance for more information.