Tyn Church

Tyn Church, or The Church of Our Lady Before Tyn, dominates one side of the Old Town Square. The two spires of this powerful looking, Gothic church (with a Baroque interior) can be observed from all over Prague.

Tyn Church (Týnský Chrám) was founded in 1385, a tumultuous period when the Hussites were being slaughtered by the ruling Roman Catholics. Indeed, in time Catholic Jesuits took over the church, recasting the bell and replacing the Hussites symbolic chalice with a large figure of Mary nailed between the towers.

Although the structure is not the same, legend has it that Tyn Church gave Walt Disney the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle. True or not, it is certainly an awe-inspiring sight both during the day, and even more so at night brightly lit against a dark sky.

And take a close look at the two spires on the church. They are not symmetrical. They represent the masculine and feminine sides of the world. This is characteristic of Gothic architecture of the period.

To discover more about Tyn Church, take a Prague tour:
Prague Grand City Sightseeing Tour
Prague Grand City Sightseeing Tour & Boat
Best of Prague Walking Tour
Prague Explorer Walking Tour.