The towering Gothic torso hidden near Václavské náměstí was started off in 1347 by Charles IV as a Carmelite order monastery. Construction was stopped by the Hussites in 1419, and only the 34m-high choir of the planned 110m-long church was finished. The Franciscans renovated the ruins of the church in 1604, adding the magnificent Renaissance altar. The peaceful adjacent monastery gardens (Františkánská zahrada) are an excellent place to soak up the sun.
