1339 to 1371: a Gothic hall
Bishop Jan IV of Dražice began the Gothic rebuilding in 1339, and Arnošt of Pardubice continued it. The church was consecrated on 4 May 1371 with King Charles IV present.
Why this church
A Gothic shell with a painted Baroque room inside
A Gothic church from the 1300s
King Charles IV was present when Archbishop Jan Očko of Vlašim consecrated the church on 4 May 1371. The preacher Jan Milíč of Kroměříž had spoken here in Czech from 1364. The building is a tall hall with aisles of equal height, rebuilt on the foundations of a Romanesque church.
A Baroque room inside the walls
From 1731 the architect František Maxmilián Kaňka remodelled the nave, and Václav Vavřinec Reiner painted the vault frescoes in 1734 and 1735: the glory of the Dominican order, scenes from the lives of St Dominic and St Thomas Aquinas, and St Giles, the church's patron.
A room that carries the sound
Reviews praise the acoustics, the soprano and the organ. The church is also on film: Miloš Forman shot some scenes of Amadeus here in the early 1980s, and the film won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Composers and players
A programme in six names
No two dates carry the same programme. These are the composers and players the series names, and what is on record about each of them in Prague.
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Vivaldi
The Four Seasons
A cycle of four violin concertos named for the seasons, printed in Amsterdam in 1725 as part of his Op. 8. Some dates bill the Four Seasons, and the calendar entry for your date says whether yours does.
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Mozart
Prague, 1787
Mozart visited Prague in January and February 1787. His Symphony No. 38 was first performed in the city on 19 January 1787, and Don Giovanni premiered at the Estates Theatre on 29 October.
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Albinoni
A Venetian composer
Tomaso Albinoni lived from 1671 to 1751 in Venice and is remembered for his oboe concertos. The famous Adagio in G minor attributed to him was largely written by Remo Giazotto.
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Smetana
The Vltava
The second of the six symphonic poems of Má vlast, composed in 1874. It follows the river from its springs to Prague, and it is the piece Smetana is best known for.
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Dvořák
A composer-organist
Born near Prague in 1841, Antonín Dvořák studied at the Prague Organ School and was organist at St Adalbert's Church in the city from 1874 to 1877.
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The soloists
Soprano, organ and solo violin
A soprano, an organist and a solo violinist headline, with a chamber ensemble of the Dvořák Symphony Orchestra. Who plays can vary between evenings.
Which pieces you hear depends on the date. A printed programme comes with the ticket and lists your evening in full.
Stone, plaster and paint
The building, century by century
The church has been rebuilt and redecorated, and each stage can still be read in the building. The four stages below come from the Dominican community, the Prague tourism board and Czech Wikipedia.
The 1620s: the Dominicans
The church was donated to the Dominican order in the 1620s. The friars built a four-wing monastery between Husova, Jalovcová and Jilská streets, and they serve the church still.
1731 to 1744: the Baroque remodel
František Maxmilián Kaňka vaulted the nave with Bohemian groin vaults on four pillars, and Bernardo Spinetti made the stucco. Furnishings were added until 1744, and František I. Weiss decorated the organ case in 1736.
1734 and 1735: Reiner's frescoes
Václav Vavřinec Reiner painted the apotheosis of the Dominican order, scenes from the lives of St Dominic and St Thomas Aquinas, and St Giles. He is buried in front of the altar of St Vincent.
Inside and out
The church in pictures
The nave, the altars, the pews, a gallery under the vault and the church by night, then the building's Gothic walls, its tower, a Baroque altar and a fresco.
Two churches, two concerts
Two church concerts to compare in Prague's Old Town
| Concert | What it offers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Classical concert in St Giles' Church | Roughly an hour of music from a chamber ensemble of the Dvořák Symphony Orchestra, with a soprano, an organist and a solo violinist, in a Gothic church with a Baroque interior on Husova street. A printed programme is included. | Listeners who want a painted Baroque room, an organ and a changing programme that may include Vivaldi's Four Seasons. |
| Classical music concert in the Týn Church | A concert in the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn on Old Town Square, with strings of the Prague Philharmonic, a mezzo-soprano, an organist and a violin soloist. A printed programme is included. | Travellers who want a concert beside the square and the twin towers, and a printed programme of well-known pieces. |
Two Old Town church concerts
Book a church concert in Prague
The first card opens the concert in St Giles' Church. The second is a separate concert in the Týn Church on Old Town Square, with its own players and programme. More Prague bookings sit in the strip underneath.
Classical concert in St Giles' Church
Roughly an hour of music from a chamber ensemble of the Dvořák Symphony Orchestra, with a soprano, an organist and a solo violinist, in a Gothic church with a Baroque interior on Husova street. A printed programme is included.
See open dates ↗Classical music concert in the Týn Church
A concert in the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn on Old Town Square, with strings of the Prague Philharmonic, a mezzo-soprano, an organist and a violin soloist. A printed programme is included.
See open dates ↗More to book in Prague
Planning your evening
Plan the evening
Finding the church
The church is at Husova 8 in Staré Město, Prague's Old Town. Husova is about 300 metres long, and the Dominican monastery beside the church fills the block between Husova, Jalovcová and Jilská streets.
At the door
One guest followed the waiting point on the map, found a side door and no one there, then went to the main door, where the ticket was scanned. Read the meeting details in your confirmation and head for the main door.
Seats
Seating is on wooden benches, and several guests say they are hard. Another wrote that arriving earlier would have given a better seat, so allow time rather than arriving as the music starts.
A place of worship
St Giles' is a Roman Catholic parish church and the convent church of the Dominicans. Keep your voice low, silence your phone at the door and stay seated during the music.
Access
The concert ticket is marked not suitable for wheelchair users. If step-free access matters to you, ask GetYourGuide before you book.
Around the concert
Husova street also holds the Bethlehem Chapel, where Jan Hus preached, and Old Town Square lies in the same district. Dine nearby before or after the music, and leave a margin for the walk.
Guides to St Giles' and its music
Guides to St Giles' and its music
Which concert, and how to book St Giles Church concert, Prague
How to book the classical concert in St Giles' Church in Prague's Old Town: the ticket, choosing a date, the players and how it compares with Týn.
Open this guide → Getting there and what to expect Visit St Giles' Church, Prague
A practical guide to St Giles' Church on Husova street in Prague's Old Town: finding the door, the benches, the building, the Masses and who it suits.
Open this guide →FAQ
Before you book St Giles'
How long is the concert at St Giles'?
Roughly an hour, with the start time of your date shown in the booking calendar and in your confirmation.
Which church is it?
The Church of St Giles, kostel sv. Jiljí, at Husova 8 in Prague's Old Town, a Gothic church with a Baroque interior. It is a separate building from the Týn Church on Old Town Square and from the Bethlehem Chapel.
What will be played?
The programme depends on the date. The composers named are Vivaldi, Mozart, Albinoni, Smetana and Dvořák, and Vivaldi's Four Seasons is billed for some evenings. A printed programme comes with the ticket.
Who performs?
A chamber ensemble of the Dvořák Symphony Orchestra, with a soprano, an organist and a solo violinist. The line-up can differ from evening to evening.
Where do I go when I arrive?
Read the meeting details in your confirmation. One guest found that the map's waiting point was a side door and had the ticket scanned at the main door.
Are the seats comfortable?
The seating is wooden benches, and several guests find them hard. The sound and the setting get the praise.
Was Amadeus filmed in the church?
Some scenes were, in the early 1980s, according to Czech Wikipedia and the concert organiser.
Can a wheelchair user attend?
Not with this ticket, which is marked as unsuitable for wheelchair users.
Can I cancel?
Yes. Booked through GetYourGuide, the ticket can be cancelled free of charge until 24 hours before the concert, and the fare can be settled later.
Spend an hour under Reiner's painted vault, in the middle of Prague's Old Town.
Book your seat at St Giles' ↗Every fare on this page is an adult price in US dollars, and checkout offers your own currency.