Loreta

A pilgrimage cloister around a Santa Casa, with a carillon

Area Hradčany
Type Church
Time needed 1h

The Loreta is a pilgrimage complex in Hradčany, begun in 1626 around a replica of the Holy House of Nazareth, the Santa Casa, and wrapped afterwards in a two-storey cloister and the Church of the Nativity of Our Lord. Its tower carries a carillon of bells that plays a Marian hymn on the hour. The treasury upstairs holds the diamond monstrance known as the Prague Sun.

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Getting there

Tram 22 or 23 to Pohořelec is the direct route, about twenty-five minutes from the Old Town with the walk to the tram, then five minutes downhill past the Strahov turning to Loretánské náměstí. From the castle's second courtyard it is a flat eight to ten minutes west along Hradčanské náměstí and Loretánská. On foot from Staroměstské náměstí over Charles Bridge and up the Old Castle Steps or Nerudova, allow forty minutes and a steady climb. The square itself is level, but there are stairs inside to the upper cloister and treasury.

What you see

Stand in the square first, facing the Baroque front with its bell tower, with the very long facade of the Černín Palace opposite. Inside, the cloister runs round all four sides of a courtyard with the Santa Casa in the middle, its brick walls deliberately rough and the interior dim, small and silver-fitted. The corner chapels off the cloister and the ceiling paintings above it repay slow walking, and one altar carries an image of the bearded female saint Starosta, which is the thing most visitors remember. The Church of the Nativity on the eastern side is a full Baroque interior with illusionistic ceiling work. The upper floor holds the treasury of monstrances and vestments, including the diamond monstrance, behind glass in a guarded room.

What to pair it with

Strahov Monastery and its library are five minutes up the hill, and Prague Castle is ten minutes the other way. Petřín can be reached on foot from Strahov along the ridge.

When to go

Go on the hour to hear the carillon, which is the one timed event worth arranging around. Mornings are quiet; the square fills in the middle of the day with castle traffic and tour groups walking down from Pohořelec. The cloister is open to the weather, so it is cold in winter and pleasant in spring. Check opening hours before you go, as it closes earlier than the castle grounds and is shut on at least one day in some seasons.

What is hard about it

It is a paid entry for a small site, and people who have already seen several Baroque interiors that day find it repetitive. The Santa Casa is genuinely dark and plain inside and underwhelms anyone expecting a spectacle. Photography is restricted in the treasury, there are stairs to the upper floor with no lift, and the cloister offers no shelter in rain. The carillon is a short, thin piece of music rather than a performance.

Common questions

How long do you need at the Loreta?

An hour is enough for the cloister, the Santa Casa, the church and the treasury. Arrive shortly before the hour if you want the bells.

Is it included in a Prague Castle ticket?

No. The Loreta is a separate institution with its own admission, and the castle sells several of its own circuits.

What is the diamond monstrance?

A late seventeenth-century gold monstrance set with several thousand diamonds, displayed in the upstairs treasury and usually the busiest room in the building.