In 1942, Czech paratroopers were sent into Prague to assassinate Heydrich; afterward, the partisans hid in the crypt of the SS. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral, where they committed suicide rather than be captured by Nazi troops. The intense bravery of the seven paratroopers involved in Heydrich’s death is marked with a permanent exhibition in their memory in the cathedral crypt, which also tells the story of how the Czechs resisted Nazi occupation; displays include maps, period photos, and memorabilia.
Because of this historic episode, the SS. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral is a highlight of World War II-themed tours in Prague, along with sites like the Petschek Palace Gestapo headquarters and Jan Hus Monument. Many bike and driving tours of Prague also stop at the SS. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral, which is located in the New Town.
The SS. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral is set in Prague’s New Town on the eastern bank of the Vltava River. The church is within walking distance of the vast Charles Square, where a number of bus and tram stops are located.
The church and crypt are closed Mondays all year round; the crypt is also closed on Sundays during the winter months. Visit on a weekday morning to take in the memorial and its WWII-related collection of memorabilia without the crowds.
Most visitors make a beeline to the cathedral’s underground memorial, but the church itself is worth a visit. Completed in 1736 in honor of the two saints who developed the Slavonic alphabet, this baroque gem was designed by architects Paul Ignaz Bayer and Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer and has an interior adorned with swirling floral frescoes by Jan Adam Schöpf.
