Church of Saint Clare, Cheb, Religious landmark and concert venue in Cheb, Czech Republic

The Church of Saint Clare is a Baroque church built by Kryštof Dientzenhofer between 1708 and 1711 for the Poor Clares in Cheb. Its plan is formed by two ovals set crosswise to the main axis, with a third central oval only hinted at by obliquely turned pillars, and the vault consists of two domes. The elevated choir recalls that the sisters sat upstairs during services; today the building serves as an exhibition space for the Gallery of Fine Arts in Cheb.

The building was designed in the early 18th century and was originally connected to a convent of Poor Clares. The structure reflects the architectural style of that period and continues to shape the townscape of Cheb.

The church now serves as an exhibition space for the Gallery of Fine Arts in Cheb, not as a parish church. Its bare facade, stripped of decoration, recalls the voluntary poverty of the Poor Clares who commissioned it. The elevated choir remains from the nuns' practice of sitting upstairs during services.

The main entrance sits in the side wall of the facade, not on the main axis, so look for it along the flank. The church is now an exhibition space of the Gallery of Fine Arts in Cheb, so visiting depends on the gallery's opening times rather than on services.

The raised choir was built so the Poor Clares could sit upstairs during services, separated from the nave below. The church is now an exhibition space of the Gallery of Fine Arts in Cheb, and with the former convent it is protected as a cultural monument.