Only a short walk from the Old Town, in a quiet residential corner of the New Town, stands one of the oldest churches in Prague. The Church of St. Peter at Poříčí (kostel sv. Petra na Poříčí) is authentic, picturesque and almost free of tourists, which makes it a rewarding stop if you like to photograph the city away from the main routes.
A Romanesque Basilica
The church was built in the 12th century as a Romanesque basilica. It served as the parish church of a settlement of German merchants in the village of Poříčí, which lay on the bank of the Vltava outside the walls of Prague and has long since been absorbed by the city. The name survives in the street Na Poříčí and in the name of the church.
The Owners of the Church
In the early 13th century the church was given to the Order of the Teutonic Knights, who founded a hospital and their residence beside it. Not long afterwards it passed to the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, a Czech order that looked after it for centuries.
What You See Today
When Charles IV founded the New Town in the 14th century, Poříčí became part of it, and the church was enlarged and rebuilt in Gothic style. Parts of the original Romanesque masonry survive, especially on the western front with its two towers. In the 19th century the building was restored in a Neo-Gothic spirit by Josef Mocker.
Beside the church stands a separate bell tower, built later than the church itself. Together with the cobbled street, the old trees and the surrounding houses of the Petrská quarter, it forms a small, calm ensemble that feels a long way from the busy shopping streets nearby.
How to Get There
The church is in the Petrská quarter, on Biskupská street. It is a few minutes on foot from the Náměstí Republiky metro station (line B) or from Florenc (lines B and C). The exterior can be seen at any time; the interior is generally open only around services, so check locally if you want to go inside.
Photographing the Church
The church is closely surrounded by streets and trees, so there is no single open view of it. Walk the whole way round. The western front with its twin towers is best photographed from a little way down the street, with a moderate wide-angle lens, keeping the camera level to avoid leaning walls. The eastern end and the free-standing bell tower make a good pair from the small park-like space beside them.
Morning light falls on the eastern end and afternoon light on the towers of the western front. Because the streets are narrow, soft light from a bright overcast sky often works better than hard sun, which leaves half the building in deep shadow.
Planning more stops in the city? Browse more Prague guides for other places worth visiting and photographing.
