In one of Europe’s most secular countries, Prague is turning to “spiritual tourism” as a new way to attract thoughtful, slow travelers seeking history, culture, and serenity. On Ash Wednesday, while Lent begins in the Christian calendar, more tourists than worshippers are often seen inside St. Vitus Cathedral. A recent STEM/MARK survey found that 95 percent of Czechs visit churches primarily for sightseeing rather than religious devotion. Even among regular churchgoers, worship is not always the main motivation for attendance.

Despite being one of Europe’s most secular nations, Czechia is home to a remarkable concentration of ecclesiastical and spiritual landmarks. Historically, pilgrimage tourism has drawn visitors from countries with strong religious traditions such as Poland, Israel, Spain, and Germany. Recognizing this, Prague City Tourism has launched a new campaign called “Praha duchovní” (Spiritual Prague). The initiative highlights the city’s Christian heritage, Jewish landmarks, mystical sites, and historic pilgrimage routes, offering visitors historical context, sightseeing recommendations, and themed walking tours.

The campaign also draws attention to iconic religious monuments such as the Spanish Synagogue and the Church of Our Lady Victorious, home to the famed Infant Jesus of Prague. It promotes lesser-known monastery gardens, neighborhood parish churches, and multilingual masses that reflect Prague’s diverse expatriate community. Services are offered in languages including English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Tagalog, French, Polish, German, and Ukrainian, showing that while institutional faith may have declined, spiritual life still has an international presence in the city.

Prague’s skyline—shaped by Gothic spires and Baroque domes—reflects its deeply spiritual past. Under the vision of Charles IV, churches, monasteries, bridges, and the university were designed to unify architecture, faith, education, and power. In the Middle Ages, Prague was imagined as a heavenly Jerusalem, symbolizing peace and harmony. Over time, however, the city’s population shifted from fervent Catholicism to forced re-Catholicization after the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, and later to widespread secularization during four decades of Communist rule.

Today, although church attendance remains low—only a small percentage attend major services like midnight mass—the new spiritual-tourism strategy focuses less on religious obligation and more on personal reflection. Studies show that 66 percent of Czechs visit churches for peace, silence, and atmosphere. According to tourism officials, pilgrimage tourism is no longer exclusively about faith but about personal growth, introspection, and meaningful travel experiences. Through this initiative, Prague hopes to present its spiritual heritage not as a contradiction to its secular identity, but as a cultural and historical asset that continues to offer quiet spaces for reflection in a modern world.