Church of Saint Nicholas Prague

Designed by Kilian I. Dienzenhofer, the same Dienzenhofer who designed the St. Nicholas Church in 'lesser town' the stunning St. Nicholas Church, is actually more lovely today then it was when started in 1735. The building itself has not changed, but it wasn't until 1901, when the Krenn House was demolished that the Baroque façade became visible from the rest of the Old Town Square. Now the beautiful white façade of the church which is decorated with sculptures by Antonín Braun gleams when hit by the sunlight during the day and is equally impressive at night, when it is lit by strong white lights. The interior design of the church was inspired by the chapel of St. Louis-des-invalides in Paris, with the delicate stucco decorations created by Bernardo Spinetti. The frescos by Peter Adam are also world-class and draw art students the world over. The church was stripped of all decorations for a time when, in 1781 then emperor Josef the 2nd ordered the closure of all monasteries without a social function. During the second World War, Czech army units were stationed in the church, and during that period artists who otherwise would have been sent to the front, were set to work restoring the church. After the war, the church was handed over to the Czech Hussite movement.