Basilica of St. James the Greater

Do not pay for this!!! The basilica museum is CLOSED! They need money to renovate the actual Basilica but this isn’t the way to do it (completely overcharging and swindling tourists!!!) The Basilica itself is a church, which you should never have to pay to go into. It’s filthy, dark with lots of paintings that you can’t make out! Half of the church is fenced off with the word “alarm” which is disappointing and you can’t get to the second level! The organ is incredible and the ceiling is beautifully detailed and ornate but isn’t worth the price to see when so many others exist for cheaper or free! The garden is disappointing, not well kept with artificial plants, no landscaping and weeds and again, half of it fenced off! The cellar is bizarre- two empty stone rooms with fairy lights ?!? And a local seller trying to sell fake plants ? In a Church ? The rooms lead onto business like meeting rooms, halls and corridors that eventually lead to a cafe and exhibition type space. This was not mentioned when we bought the tickets and made us feel like we had been swindled!! The spaces were modern, filled with questionable art, decor and smells; I felt like I was in a living room, and it wasn’t a saint’s! Poor information, poor communication and poor pricing! Maybe even poor morals ! Either completely privatise it or keep it open for fall to see! Over complicated ticket choices (4-5 to choose from) and the girl didn’t say which one did what or what we were paying for. Watch out- one of the tickets advertises a coffee or tea tasting which is from another local seller. You can’t access any higher floors, views or towers and the basilica museum is CLOSED! Get a pic of the amazing door outside and MOVE ON.

Basilica of St. James is a stunning catholic church located near Old Town Square. Have to look a little bit. The outside of the church is uniquely decorated. The church was built in the gothic architecture sytle and then rebuilt in the Baroque architecture style in the 1600’s due to a fire.

The exterior facade belies the gorgeous interior within. I love the intricate carvings in the church's interior. The high ceiling is simply magnificent. The natural light coming in from windows made the entire place look really beautiful. I am sure the acoustics would also be amazing here as well.

Past reviews are spot on. The shriveled arm is hanging high up on the wall to your right as you step foot in the Basilica. According to legend a thief tried to steal the Madonna Pietatis from the altar. His hand froze when he touched it and the monks had to cut of his arm for the hand to let go. The arm was hung as a warning.

Basilica of St. James is a stunning catholic church located near Old Town Square. Have to look a little bit. The outside of the church is uniquely decorated. The church was built in the gothic architecture sytle and then rebuilt in the Baroque architecture style in the 1600’s due to a fire. The inside of the church is just majestic with amazing statues, decoration, and a beautiful alter and organ. The church is huge. It was built in the 13th century for the Franciscans and serves as a burial site for Count Vratislav of Mitrovice and is home to Madonna Pietatis. This church is a must see when in Prague. I loved my visit.

Another interesting piece of architecture in the city. There are hundreds of hidden gems throughout Prague and this is a nice site to visit when exploring.

Good to observe but you can’t approach the paintings. I hoped to find outside the shell of Santiago de Compostella and I didn’t find it. But worth to see the church. It’s free.

Wonderfully ornate and impressive baroque church in Old Town Prague within easy walking distance of Old Town Square. This church is free to visit but it does close during the day from 12 noon to 2 PM so avoid these times.