Church of Our Lady before Týn

This guide to the Church of Our Lady before Tyn in Prague starts beneath the golden halo crowning its facade Madonna, then rewinds two centuries to the Hussites, reformers who once mounted a giant gilded chalice on that same spot as a symbol of defiance, alongside a statue of the Bohemian king who ruled while defying Rome. You'll hear about the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, when Catholic forces crushed the Bohemian rebels just outside the city. Stand in Old Town Square and look up at that quiet golden shine.