Bethlehem Chapel

Sandwiched right between Weinseclas Square, the Old Town Square, and Charles Square, despite its ultra-central location Bethlehem Chapel somehow lacks the tourist draw of its neighbors to the north, east, and west. No matter. Though sparse and somewhat lacking in the romantic charm of some of the other churches on this list, the lack of any tourist crowds and its unusually prominent history as the center of religious reform make Bethlehem Chapel a delight to visit. Founded in 1391, Bethlehem Chapel was unusual at the time for being taught in Czech, not German, and in 1402 the notable Czech religious reformer Jan Hus became a pastor there―the same pastor that sparked the thirty year long Hussite war between Hus’ followers and the Catholic Church, making Bethlehem Chapel ground zero for the tussle between reformers and conservatives in the 15th century. The Pope order Bethlehem Chapel demolished in 1412, but the chapel was saved by the pro-Hussite Czech town council. It remained a center of Protestantism, but was acquired by the Catholic Jesuits in the 1700s and partially demolished. Designed intentionally to be Spartan, in stark contrast to other churches at the time, Bethlehem Chapel could seat 3000 people, yet was never dubbed a full cathedral.