On the southern slope of Petřín, hidden among the trees of the Kinský Garden, stands a building you would not expect to find in Prague: a small wooden Orthodox church with a shingled roof and three towers. It is the Church of the Archangel Michael (Chrám sv. archanděla Michaela), and most visitors to the city never see it.
A Church That Travelled
The church is a typical folk log building from the Carpathian region, built in the Boyko style with three towers of different heights. It comes from what was then Subcarpathian Ruthenia, the easternmost part of interwar Czechoslovakia and today the Zakarpattia region of Ukraine. It originally stood in the village of Velké Loučky; in 1793 it was moved to Medvedovce near Mukachevo. In 1929 it was taken apart once more, transported to Prague and rebuilt here in the Kinský Garden. It became part of the collection of the Ethnographic Museum, which has its home in the summer palace at the bottom of the same garden, and has been used for Orthodox services.
In October 2020 the church was seriously damaged by a fire, and a long restoration followed. The photographs on this page were taken before the fire. If you are planning a visit specifically to see it, check its current state beforehand.
How to Find It
The Kinský Garden (Kinského zahrada) is a landscaped park on the Smíchov side of Petřín. The main entrance is at náměstí Kinských, by the Švandovo divadlo tram stop. From there, follow the paths uphill past the summer palace; the church stands on the upper part of the slope, near a small lake, about fifteen to twenty minutes on foot. You can also reach it from the top of Petřín by passing through one of the gates in the Hunger Wall and walking down. The garden is free to enter, and the church is normally viewed from outside.
Photographing the Wooden Church
The church stands in a clearing surrounded by tall trees, so it is in dappled or full shade for much of the day. This is a subject that looks better in soft light: an overcast day brings out the dark texture of the logs and shingles without harsh contrast. If you want sun, late morning to midday is when it reaches the clearing most easily.
Walk around the building before you choose your angle. A three-quarter view from slightly downhill shows all three towers stepping up one behind another; from close up, a wide lens pointed upwards emphasises the layered roofs.
Autumn is my favourite season here. The beeches and maples of the garden turn yellow and orange and the dark wood stands out strongly against them. In winter, with snow on the roofs, the church looks as if it were still in the Carpathians.
Planning more stops in the city? Browse more Prague guides for other places worth visiting and photographing.
