Kutnohorsko Kolínsko Turistická Oblast

St. Stephen´s Church with the bell tower

Kouřim

For seven and a half centuries, St. Stephen’s, the First Martyr’s, Church in Kouřim is an architectural as well as spiritual dominant of the town.

History of St. Stephen’s Church dates back to the very beginning of Kouřim’s history. The exact time of its foundation is still unknown. Remains of reused Romanesque blocks were found in the masonry of the building, which most probably came from the building of the older church. It existed even before the foundation of the medieval town, the oldest written record of which dates back to 1261.

After 1270, the main and south naves were fully completed, and it was probably not until the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries that the top floors of both towers were erected. Medieval history of St. Stephen’s Church is not sufficiently known due to the lack of extant written sources. The oldest surviving record of it dates back to 1334, when the building was damaged by a fire that engulfed the entire town. At the beginning of the 15th century the interior was decorated with valuable wall paintings. ,

For more information about the church and its opening hours, visit the website.

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Chapel of All Saints with ossuary

The Roman Catholic cemetery church of All Saints with an ossuary is part of the former Cistercian abbey in Sedlec, founded as early as 1142.

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Čáslav Synagogue

The modern Jewish community in Čáslav began its history in the mid-19th century. At the end of the century, the Jewish inhabitants of Čáslav experienced a period of social and cultural flourishing, which culminated at the turn of the century with the construction of a new synagogue on the former Rudolfova třída (today’s Masaryk Street No. 111).

The municipality approached the prominent Viennese architect Wilhelm Stiassni, who had also participated in the construction of the Jubilee Synagogue in Prague on Jerusalem Street. He designed a synagogue in the Moorish style for Čáslav, which was to replace an older house of prayer documented from the mid-19th century. The plans of this Jewish builder were promptly approved by the Israelite Association and the municipal authority in 1897, but it took two more years before construction began. The possible cause was lack of finance. Not only the inhabitants of Čáslav and its surroundings, but also the Rotschild family in Vienna contributed to the construction. Construction work began on 13. March 1899 and already on 2.9.1899 the ceremonial approval took place.

The Čáslav synagogue is a building of high architectural quality and is protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic.

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St. Bartholomew´s Church and town walls complex

The Decanal Church of St. Bartholomew is both the dominant of Kolín as well as the most valuable monument of this historic town. The early Gothic church was founded in the middle of the 13th century and its construction was carried out in several stages by orders of King Přemysl Otakar II and his successors, the last construction works were done at the beginning of 14th century.

The whole area of the so-called Cathedral Hill, which was revitalized extensively in 2018–2020, is truly unique. You will find here most notably the ossuary with rich ornamental decoration or the building of the former parish school, which houses an interactive exposition. The bell tower is a place where the cathedral treasure is kept and a lapidarium can be found. From atop it also offers a view of the town centre. The green baileys invite you to have a walk and relax in the herb garden or in the rosarium.

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