St. Salvator Church at Charles Bridge
Old Town, Prague 1

The church is a city landmark in Prague. Located at one end of Charles Bridge, it marks the entrance to the Old Town.

St. Salvator is considered to be one of the most valuable examples of early-Baroque architecture in the city. It was built by the Jesuits in the Gothic style between 1578-1601, but significant Baroque features were added between 1649-1654.

The celebrated architects Carlo Lurago, Francesco Caratti and Frantisek Kanka were in charge of construction.

The church has a beautiful facade. Its portico is decorated with sand-stone sculptures of saints created by Jan Jirí Bendl. A niche in the wall houses a sculpture of the Virgin Mary.

The interior of St. Salvator Church is deceptively large, much grander than one imagines from the outside. There are three aisles with galleries; the very high central aisle leads to a stunning dome painted with frescos.

St. Salvator boasts two magnificent organs, which are played at Mass and in the classical concerts.

The holy building conceals a paradox which characterises the work of the Jesuit Order in Bohemia: in the crypt are buried both Father Koniáš, the “destroyer of Czech books”, and Bohuslav Balbín, who is known as the “defender of the Czech language”.

In winter, the seats at St. Salvator are heated and have cushions, but it is still advisable to wear warm clothing for concerts.

View listings and book concert tickets.

To explore the sights in Prague, take a Prague tour.