Jan Blažej Santini was a genius architect, who designed over 80 buildings in his very specific Gothic Baroque style. I’ve put together the complete tour of Santini’s work in Prague and also included places that you can easily reach on a day trip from Prague, such as Plasy, Zdar nad Sazavou or Marianska Tynice. I’ve really enjoyed visiting Santini’s churches, monasteries and palaces and hope my guide inspires you to add one or two buildings to your itinerary when you next visit Prague.
The work of Santini is so extensive that it would be impossible to fit everything into one guide. This is why I wanted to focus on Prague and places that are within easy (or reasonable) reach from Prague. Over the last few years, I’ve re-visited many of these, often realising that I wasn’t previously aware that they were designed by Santini. I’ve always admired the Green Hill (Zelena Hora) at Zdar nad Sazavou ever since I visited it with my friends more than 30 years ago.
If you are not into architecture, don’t worry. All you need to know, to enjoy Santini’s work, is that his style somehow feels lighter, cleaner and less cluttered for baroque which was normally very elaborate.
Officially his style is called ‘Gothic Baroque’ and hopefully you will be able to see from my photos why. He also often uses stars as a theme, in churches, paintings and even as decorations on door handles. I also think, that he likes to play with the lines, and pillars and have a bit of fun with his designs. Have fun yourself looking out for them!
How to use my self-guided tour guide of Jan Blažej Santini work
If you have the time, you can also see Santini’s work outside of Prague. If you have just one day, I’d recommend you to see the Plasy Monastery, as it’s the largest one and there is plenty to see and do. You can also combine it with a little 10 km hike through the woods to see Marianska Tynice, which was recently beautifully restored, and then take the bus back to Prague from Kralovice.
This self-guided tour in the footsteps of Santini is a culmination of day trips on several days across several years, so I’m afraid you won’t be able to fit everything into one day. I’ve separated all the places into one day in Prague, then places nearby which you can do in 1/2 day and for the rest you will need a day out for each place. I’ve left out all the Santini work that’s not very reachable from Prague in one day, since there is so much to explore closer to Prague.
Jan Blazej Santini Aichel
Jan Blažej Santini (1677–1723) was a genius architect, who created (for his time) modern and daring architecture, despite the fact that he wasn’t really qualified.
Santini did not have an easy start to his life. He was born partially paralyzed, which meant that he couldn’t become a stonemason like his father. Instead, he trained as a painter. Interestingly, there are no examples of any of his paintings, because instead of following the path of a painter Santini became a self-taught designer and architect.
Santini’s father was Italian, which is where his surname comes from and his mother was Czech. He was born in Prague and baptised at the St.Vitus Cathedral and he lived in Prague when he wasn’t travelling for his work.
Santini was also highly educated for his time. He could read and write in Czech, German, Italian, and Latin, and was familiar with subjects such as geometry and Christian Kabbalah.
He began his career in his father’s workshop, trained under Jean Baptiste Mathey, and to complete his studies, took a learning trip around Europe in 1695.
During his short life, he designed over 80 buildings and as he died fairly young and unexpectedly, he has left many other plans in progress and many not started yet.
There are many sources, that claim that Santini’s work can be detected in as many as 200 different buildings, but this could be because others have been inspired by his style and used it to create their buildings and churches.
Even so, when you divide the 80 proven projects over the twenty-three years of the architect’s career, it means that he was starting an incredible four projects per year.
Santini Exhibition at the National Technical Museum – Prague
To celebrate 300 years since the death of Santini last year, the National Technical Museum is hosting a really lovely exhibition about all of Santini’s main projects.
I had the opportunity to attend a lecture given on Santini by the exhibition authors and saw the exhibition afterwards. It’s a really great introduction to Santini’s work and you can see plans, photos and models of many of his buildings. All descriptions are in Czech and English, so it’s a great place to start your Prague Santini tour there.
- Location: Letenska Prague 7
- Opening Times: Tuesday – Sunday, 9 am -6 pm, Closed on Mondays
- Ticket Cost: 280 CZK Adult ticket (concessions for children, students and senior citizens available) – the ticket is valid for the whole museum, which can be a whole day visit
Deanery at Prague Castle
Santini is also credited with smaller works and one of them is the facade of the Deanery at Prague Castle (No. 37). This originally Renaissance building was reconstructed in the high Baroque style in 1705–1706 by Santini for the Chapter Dean Adam Ignác Mladota of Solopysk.
- Location: No. 37, Prague Castle, Prague 1 (just behind the St.Vitus Cathedral)
- Notes: Private building, but you can see the outside facade any time free of charge – the same as the Prague Castle Opening Hours from 6 am to 10 pm every day.
Morzin Palace
The Morzinsky (Morzin) Palace is one of the most significant buildings of Prague’s high Baroque architecture, although when you walk by, you might not even realise it.
Santini built it for Count Václav Morzin in 1713–14 and together with the opposite Thun-Hohenstein (Kolowrat’s) Palace, the Morzinsky Palace is considered the most important of Santini’s work in palace architecture. Santini first had to merge four ornate Renaissance houses, which he kept and then deal with the large building facade.
The palace has only two floors and inside (not accessible to the general public), there are two courtyards with fountains and a garden. Outside you can see a balcony supported by heraldic figures of Moors or Moroccans (the Morzin family crest) and above the portals are allegorical sculptures of Day and Night, all created by another Czech Baroque artist – sculptor – Ferdinand Maximilian Brokoff.
The Morzin family owned the palace until 1881 and now the building is used by the Romanian Embassy.
Be careful if you walk around at night because according to legend, the statues of Moors come to life at night and walk around Prague!
- Location: Nerudova Street, Lesser Town, Prague 1
- Notes: Not open to the general public, but you can see the front of the palace any time.
Kolowrat Palace (Thun, or Thun-Hohenstein Palace)
This palace was created in a fairly unusual way for its time. At the time it was normal to re-built or use existing houses to make a new large palace. However, the Kolowrat Palace was built completely new on the foundations of four existing houses, which were completely demolished.
Santini built the palace for Norbert Vincenc, Count of Libštejnský from the Kolovrat family between 1716 and 1721. The facade was decorated with large sculptures by Matyáš Bernard Braun.
In 1769, the palace was inherited by the Thun family, who owned it until 1924, when they sold it to the Italian government.
- Location: Nerudova Street, Lesser Town, Prague 1
- Notes: Not open to the general public as it’s the Italian Embassy, but you can see the front of the palace any time.
Church of the Virgin Mary – At the Theatines
At the site of two original houses near the former Strahov Gate on Nerudova Street, the Church of the Virgin Mary, also known as the Church of Our Lady “U Kajetánů”, was built between 1691 and 1717.
The foundation stone of the church was laid in 1691, and the construction was likely completed at the beginning of the 18th century, with the consecration taking place on September 29, 1717. The monastery and its school took in mainly noble sons from well-to-do families.
The first design was submitted in 1679 by the Italian architect Guarino Guarini, but it’s sometimes also attributed to Jean Baptiste Mathey, who was Santini’s mentor.
The final appearance of the building was probably not heavily influenced by Santini as he took over the completion of the church construction in 1706. But as you walk around the church, you can start noticing the little stars on the ceiling, slightly edgier collums and the simple style of the decor in the upper part of the church walls, so you know Santini was here!
- Location: Nerudova Street 22, Lesser Town, Prague 1
- Opening Times: Mon – Wed: 13:00 – 17:00, Thu – Sun 10:00 – 17:00
- Tickets: Free
Santini’s house
From the beginning of his career, Santini worked for important clients and was able to secure large and demanding commissions, which paid well.
He was so successful, that only about 5 years after he started to work for himself, he bought in 1705 a prominent Valkounský house (No. 211) on Nerudova Street for 3000 gold coins in cash!
To put this into perspective, I found out that for one of his first projects – the chapel of St. Anna – Santini was paid 180 gold coins. Two years later, he also bought the house next door ‘At the Golden Chalice (No. 212)’ and combined them together. When he was commissioned to work on the other two palaces in Nerudova Street, he must have experienced the ultimate Baroque version of ‘working from home’!
- Location: Nerudova Street, Lesser Town, Prague 1
- Notes: The houses are now a hotel, shop and a cafe and you can see them any time and stay there if you wish
Santini’s final resting place
Santini died in December 1723 at the age of 46, very likely from a lung disease, although the real reason is not known.
Like other artists from the left bank of the Vltava River, he was buried in the now vanished Church of St. John in Oboře under the Janské Schody, but sadly, neither his grave nor an authentic portrait has been preserved.
At his death he had a lot of unfinished projects on the go, but because he was so unique, his style – the Baroque Gothic also disappeared. There was nobody who could take over his projects, but some buildings were completed after his death by those with whom he often collaborated, namely František Maximilian Kaňka and Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer.
- Location: Janske Schody – just off Nerudova Street, Prague 1
- Notes: Accessible any time, no entry fee
Lissau Count’s Palace
I thought I’d also include the Lissau Count’s Palace on the Old Town Square, but you will have a hard time trying to find it! That is because it was unfortunately demolished in 1896 when the wide Paris Street was being built.
The Lisovsky Palace was originally designated as No. 935-I and was built by Santini in the first decade of the 18th century for Rudolf Josef, Count of Lissau. This was another great success and as Rudolf Josef, Count of Lissau was an influential man, he recommended Santini to other people and even accepted an invitation to the baptisms of the children of Satinin and his wife, Veronika Alžběta Schröderová.
From the documents, it’s apparent that Santini also worked on the Czernin Palace in Hradcany as the Count of Lissau noted in 1707 that Santini’s work was completed well. He didn’t work on the main design but rather worked alongside other architects, but what is recorded is that Santini designed the large fountain pool walls.
- Location: Old Town Square, next to St. Nicholas Church as you look into Paris Street
- Notes: The house doesn’t exist anymore
The Church of St. Peter and Paul at Zderaz
The ‘Church of St. Peter and Paul at Zderaz’ was part of the monastery, which was founded at the end of the 12 century by the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, also known as the guardians of the Holy Grave in Jerusalem. By the beginning of the 18th century the monastery decided to rebuild the church. Because they were given a very generous donation of 20 000 golden coins by the Bohemian emperor Charles VI, they invited Santini to design the church, which was finished by 1721.
Sadly, when the monastery was dissolved by Josef II in 1784, the buildings were given to the army and used as barracks for soldiers. Towards the end of the 19th century, the Technical University built its school there incorporating the monastery buildings. In 1904 the whole area was being re-developed and that’s when the church and most of the buildings were pulled down.
It’s a sad story, so as you are sipping on your coffee at the ‘Cafe Kaple’ which is now exactly where the church was, you can think of the history that’s all around you. You can still see old walls preserved in the newly renovated buildings and when you walk around you can still see the old monastery school buildings (no. 269, 270, 271 and 275).
- Location: Na Zderaze čp. 296/4, Prague 2 (follow the little cobbled street from the bottom of Charles Square – Karlovo Namesti where you can see the Mat Cinema on the corner)
- Notes: Cafe Kaple is open every day from 2 pm until 8 pm. It’s a completely hidden little gem, very peaceful and they have great coffee too!
Places just outside Prague – great for 1/2 day trip
Chapel of St. Ann – Dolni Brezany
The Chapel of St. Anne was one of Santini’s first works and was built between 1705-1707 for St. George Convent and commissioned by the abbes Františka Helena Pieroni de Galliano. Inside the chapel is beautifully lit because of the position of the windows and the top lantern dome. Although the layout is closer to the triangle than a star, you can see the beginnings of Santini’s future style.
- Location: Panenske Brezany (20 minutes by a 373 bus from Prague Kobylisy, bus stop Panenske Brezany, Zamek).
- Opening Times: Wednesday – Sunday 10-4 pm
- Tickets: 70 CZK adult ticket
- Notes: I saw the Chapel of St. Ann when I was researching my self-guided Operation Anthropoid tour, so if you are interested you can combine the visit with the museum exhibition in the chateau, where you buy your ticket for the chapel.
Zbraslav Monastery
Among Santini’s first clients were the abbots of Cistercian monasteries. As early as 1700, Wolfgang Lochner entrusted Santini with the construction of the convent of the Cistercian monastery in Zbraslav. Santini was inspired by a French chateau when he built this monastery and you can easily see that the monastery looks very different to the others built at the time. It looks more like a cosy countryside chateau with its cheery yellow colours, large windows and decorated facades.
- Location: Zbraslav (15 minutes by local bus from Prague Smichov Train Station)
- Notes: The Zbraslav Monastery is under private ownership and not open to the public. You can walk outside the area and see the buildings and also visit the church (not built by Santini).
Places outside Prague (great for a whole day trip)
Plasy Monastery & Church
The Plasy Monastery was the first royal Cistercian monastery founded in Bohemia in 1144 by Prince Vladislav II. But it was completely transformed during the reign of the last Premyslid kings. After being burned down during the Hussita’s uprising at the beginning of the 15th century, it was rebuilt in a lavish Baroque style between 1661 and 1785 based on the plans of Jean Baptiste Mathey, Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel, and Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer.
The Cistercians, as it was their custom, settled in a fairly wild and remote countryside in the valley of the Strela River. Santini had to work out how to deal with water currents and wet ground which was all around the monastery. He cleverly solved this problem by putting more than five thousand oak pillars into the ground beneath the foundations of the convent he was building.
A timber grid platform was placed on top and then the convent was built on top of that. The entire understructure was permanently flooded with water, which prevented access to air and stopped the wood from decaying and rotting. Because the level of water needs to be constantly monitored, Santini designed open pools built underground of the convent, where the water level can be easily monitored and topped up if needed.
Santini even left the monks a simple manual, as he wrote next to one of the pools (in Latin) ‘Without water, this building will collapse!’ The staff still take this warning very seriously, and they monitor the water level, temperature, and quality in both pools four times a day.
Sadly almost immediately after the refurbishment was completed, the Plasy Monastery was abolished by Emperor Joseph II on November 9, 1785. At the time the monastery was the richest and the most significant Cistercian abbey in Bohemia. In 1826 it was bought by Chancellor Metternich and his family, who was one of the most powerful politicians in Bohemia at that time.
- Location: Plasy (approx 2 hrs by train from Prague with change over in Pilsen + 2 km walk from the Plasy train station
- Opening Times: Tuesday – Sunday (May-September), Sat + Sun (April + October)
- Tickets: 220 CZK adult ticket (concessions available) for the monastery, church & water systems + there is another self-guided tour available for the palace.
Marianska Tynice
Mariánská Týnice is a pilgrimage site that belonged to the Cistercian monastery in Plasy. It is one of the most beautiful Baroque architecture in western Bohemia and was nearly lost in the last century.
After the dissolution of the Plasy monastery in 1785, the building inventory was first sold out and the buildings used as storage. By the beginning of the 20th century it fell into permanent disrepair, and in 1920, the dome of the church collapsed.
In 1952 the buildings started to be used as a museum and finally, in 1993 the buildings and the church started to get renewed. The collapsed church dome was restored, towers put back and the final cherry on Santini’s cake was to newly build the eastern courtyard, which was in the original plans, but because of the monastery dissolution was never built.
The new courtyard was finished in 2021 and I kind of liked how surprisingly modern the Baroque-style wall and ceiling paintings appear. Other than that, you probably won’t be able to tell which side is the new one and which is repaired.
Hubenov Farmstead
Since I’ve already visited Plasy before, I combined my visit to Marianska Tynice with a walk to Hubenov Farmstead, which was also designed by Santini. The farmstead is private, so you can’t visit, but the red tourist marked trail goes right by it, so you can have a good look.
Hubenov was originally built for Plasy Monastery as the monks owned large lands and needed a place to work the land. Santini built several different farmsteads around the area, but Hubenov is a good example of how he adapted his style to practical buildings.
- Location: Marianska Tynice – 2 km from Kralovice town in Pilsen Region, (1,5 hrs direct bus 404 from Prague – Zlicin or 304 bus to Rakovnik and then 404 bus to Kralovice & 2 km walk). You can make it into a longer day by combining it with a visit to Plasy, which are 10 km hike following the marked red tourist trail. Hubenov is 3,5 km from Marianska Tynice on red tourist trail.
- Opening Times: Tuesday – Sunday (main tourist season), Monday – Friday (off-season & winter)
- Tickets: 80 CZK (or 120 CZK including the upper museum displays)
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist
If you are planning a day trip to Kutna Hora, then you shouldn’t miss my next example of the wonderful Santini’s work. The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist is part of the former oldest Cistercian abbey in Bohemia originally founded in 1142 and it’s a rare and unique UNESCO listed monument. Together with the world-famous Sedlec Ossuary, this church forms part of the oldest area of Kutná Hora.
When in 1702 the cathedral needed a complete re-build Abbot Jindřich Snopek asked Santini to do the work. I think especially in this cathedral you can see (from the outside and inside too) how the gothic style influenced Santini’s work. The tall structure of the cathedral looks sleek and clean in comparison to other churches built at the time in elaborate Baroque style.
- Location: Sedlec – Kutna Hora ( 1 hr by direct train from Prague Main Train Station)
- Opening Times: Open daily
- Tickets: 220 CZK adult ticket (concessions available)
Karlova Koruna
If you feel a bit overwhelmed by the amount of church buildings created by Santini, then I promise you will love Karlova Koruna Chateau. It’s an easy day trip from Prague and apart from the main chateau, there is a lovely park and an orangery restaurant with homemade ice-cream, cakes and great coffee.
This chateau was built between 1721 – 23 for František Ferdinand Kinský, who was part of the same family who also owned the Kinsky Garden in Prague and many other palaces. He was the highest chancellor of the Kingdom of Bohemia, so he could afford the most sought-after architect of that time – Santini! The name of the chateau comes from the shape of the original floor plan, which was designed as a royal crown.
- Location: Chlumec nad Cidlinou (1 hr by direct train from Prague Main Train Station and then a short walk through the chateau park).
- Opening Times: The park is open free all year round, Chateau guided tours – weekends during off-season and Tuesday – Sunday during the main tourist season)
- Tickets: 150 CZK adult ticket (concessions available)
Kladruby Monastery & Church
Kladruby is a former Benedictine monastery, founded in 1115 by Prince Vladislav I and it was one of the wealthiest monasteries in Bohemia at the beginning of the 14th century.
Santini was commissioned to rebuild the original Romanesque basilica of the Virgin Mary and he spent nearly 11 years working on this project from 1712 until his death in 1723.
During the reign of Joseph II, the monastery like many others was dissolved and the buildings were used as a military hospital, army barracks and as a war veterans’ home. In 1825, Kladruby monastery was bought by Field Marshal Prince Alfred I. Windischgrätz, who turned part of the monastery into a palace and added other buildings, such as brewery.
If you’ve already visited the famous Charles Bridge in Prague you might have seen the statue of Saint John Nepomuk and the marked spot on the bridge where he was thrown over after being tortured. It’s said it was because he kept the queen’s secret against the king, but the real reason was that in 1393, he confirmed the new abbot of Kladruby Monastery without the agreement of the king!
- Location: Kladruby near Stribro (2 hrs by direct train from Prague Main Train Station + 6 km hike through the woodland)
- Opening Times: Tuesday – Sunday during the main tourist season from May – August and Saturday & Sunday during April, September & October – closed in winter)
- Tickets: 200 CZK concessions available
Green Hill Pilgrimage Place, Church & Monastery
The Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk is the first large church dedicated to St. John of Nepomuk and it’s one of the most original examples of Santini’s so-called Baroque Gothic style. The church has been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1994.
The church is shaped like a five-pointed star, with five entrances, and features five stars and five angels on the main altar. The church is surrounded by star-shaped walls and whilst the best view is probably from the air, the next best view is from the Zdar’s monastery garden across the pond.
I also took a guided tour of the monastery complex and visited the basilica, prelature, chapel, paradise court and gardens, which were also designed and remodelled by Santini.
- Location: Zdar nad Sazavou (2 hrs and 20 min direct train from Prague + 4,5 km walk through the town to the chateau complex)
- Opening Times: Open Daily
- Tickets: 150 CZK adult ticket (concessions available), but you can walk around the monastery complex, church and the pilgrimage place free of charge
This blog post was originally written on 25 March 2024 and last updated on 25 March 2024
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