Church of Our Lady before Týn

Gothic twin-spired church looming over the Old Town Square since 1385

Address Staroměstské náměstí, Prague 1 (Staré Město)

The twin Gothic spires of the Týn Church have loomed over Old Town Square since 1385, their dark, slightly menacing silhouette one of the defining images of Prague. They rise to 80 metres, slightly asymmetrical — legend says the taller one represents Adam, the shorter Eve. The church is entered from behind, through a passage beneath the arcaded building fronting the square.

Inside, the Gothic space is relatively plain compared to Prague's Baroque churches, which is part of its appeal: ribbed vaulting, old stone, a few good altarpieces. The tomb of Tycho Brahe, the Danish astronomer who served Rudolf II and died in Prague in 1601, is marked by a worn floor slab near the entrance. The church is active and not always open to visitors; check the current hours.

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A story
The astronomer Tycho Brahe, who died in Prague in 1601, is buried inside the Týn Church. The slab is easy to miss. He died just eleven days after attending a state dinner where, according to contemporary accounts, he refused to leave the table to relieve himself out of etiquette, rupturing his bladder.

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