PRAGUE GUIDE

To the north of the square is Letenská Street where you will see the Church of St. Thomas. This beautiful ancient church with a monastery has been standing in Lesser Town for almost 800 years. The church was established for the Order of the Augustinian hermits by King Wenceslas II. The original Gothic church was rebuilt during 1727 to 1731. Designed by the famous architect K. I. Dientzenhofer, the church gained its present Baroque appearance. Today little remains of its Gothic origins apart from the spire. The ceiling is covered in frescoes by Václav Reiner depicting the life of St Augustine and, in the dome, the legend of St. Thomas. Incredibly, Reiner completed the work in just two years. Impressive interiors are decorated with sculptures by F. M. Brokof and a stunning main altar dating from 1731. Paintings, in fact copies, of St. Thomas and St. Augustine over the high altar were commissioned from Rubens. Originals can be seen in Sternberg Palace. The skeleton of the martyr St. Just resting in a glass coffin is also worth seeing. This monastery used to brew beer until the year 1951, when it was closed. But the medieval building is still used as a beer hall called At St. Thomas's (U svatého Tomáše) where you can enjoy a pint of great Czech beer.

Open: Mon-Sat 11am-1pm; Sun 9am-noon, 4.30-5.30pm
Mass in English: Sun, 11am
Admission: free; open for services daily.