Chapel of Saints Cyril and Methodius
What Říp is in Bohemia, Radhošt’ is in Moravia. The foundation stone for the National Theatre was broken off from here, and according to tradition, this is where the chief priests stood to erect a cross on the site of pagan sacrifices. The Cyril and Methodius Chapel at the top of the mountain is the fruit of awakened national consciousness and since its foundation in 1898 it has remained the highest church in the Czech lands.
The brick, shingled chapel of Saints Cyril and Methodius adorns the 1129 m high Radhošt’ mountain. Together with the Pustevny Mountains and the statue of the pagan god Radegast, it forms a trio of monuments visited not only by people from Bohemia but also from abroad. The foundation stone was consecrated in 1896 and two years later, on 11 September 1898, the finished work was consecrated by the Archbishop of Olomouc, Theodor Kohn. The chapel is built in the style of Byzantine buildings, which was the intention of the architect Skibinsky, who designed it to symbolize the Byzantine origin of the two saints. The original stone building is clad with shingles and with the later added bell tower is a beautiful decoration of the top of Radhoště.
What can you visit here?
It was filmed about the Radhošť
Information from history
History of the pilgrimage site
In 1862, on the occasion of the approaching millennium of the arrival of the Thessalonian brothers to Moravia, the town halls of Rožnov and Frenštát organised a great national festival on the top of Radhoště, which was attended by around 15,000 pilgrims. A collection was announced for the erection of statues of Cyril and Methodius. Its proceeds were later supplemented by other collections, which were eventually decided to be used for the construction of the chapel.
Chapel of Saints Cyril and Methodius
What Říp is in Bohemia, Radhošt’ is in Moravia. The foundation stone for the National Theatre was broken off from here, and according to tradition, this is where the chief priests stood to erect a cross on the site of pagan sacrifices. The Cyril and Methodius Chapel at the top of the mountain is the fruit of awakened national consciousness and since its foundation in 1898 it has remained the highest church in the Czech lands. On the occasion of Methodius’ millennium, Pope Leo XIII in Rome consecrated the painting of Jan Sarkander for the future Radhoštěm Chapel to the Moravian pilgrims under the leadership of the later Archbishop of Olomouc, Antonín Cyril Stojan. The cost was then estimated at about 10,000 gold coins. Fialka Alojs was appointed chairman of the committee for the construction of the chapel.
In 1895, the chairman of the committee was Emil Kostelnik, a factory worker, who bought the original painting of the Wallachian Madonna by Adolf Liebscher at the ethnographic exhibition in Prague that year and travelled with it to Moravia and Bohemia to collect another part of the estimated costs of about 7,500 gold coins. The Archbishop of Olomouc, Theodor Kohn, donated part of the land in the Trojanovice area for the chapel and took over the patronage of the chapel. Also the Count of the Roznov estate Rudolf Kinský donated part of his land in the cadastre of Dolní Bečva.
For this reason, the planned chapel was to stand with one half on the Rožnov side and the other half on the Frenštát side. On 5 July 1896 the foundation stone of the Radhošt’ chapel was consecrated. Since the consecration of the chapel by the Archbishop of Olomouc, Theodor Kohn, in 1898, it has been cared for by the members of the Matica Radhošt’ association from Trojanovice.
He also managed the restoration of the wooden bell tower in 2000. Similarly to the construction of the chapel a hundred years ago, the people of Wallachia organized a collection, which partially paid for the construction work. In addition to money, they also donated wood from their own forests. One of the beams transported to Radhošt’ was carved with the symbolic inscription “Wallachians for themselves”.
The craftsmen who repaired the chapel had to show the same skill and art as their predecessors. The carved columns, the hand-hewn beams or the shingled roof of the new bell tower do not differ in detail from the original historic building.
Above the entrance to the chapel you can read the inscription “Love, Slavs. The windows are decorated with colourful stained glass windows with figures of saints. In the chapel, there is a marble altar of St. Cyril and Methodius and a right side altar for a rare painting of the Wallachian Madonna by Liebscher. The whole interior has a calming impression and a visit to the chapel, which is a jewel on the top of Radhoštěd, is a pleasant stop after a climb to the top of the sacred mountain.
Where to get tourist information?
Contacts
Na Velehradě jsou dvě informační centra, kde mohou turisté a návštěvníci získat informace o prohlídkách, akcích, výstavách a dalších aktivitách, které v obci dějí.
Tourist Information Centre
Rožnov pod Radhoštěm
Masarykovo náměstí 131
756 61 Rožnov pod Radhoštěm
tel. +420 571 652 444
e-mail: ic@roznov.cz
web: www.visitroznov.cz
Trojanovice Information Centre
Trojanovice 210, 742 96 Trojanovice
tel. +420 556 835 022
e-mail: ic@trojanovice.cz
web: www.trojanovice.cz
Radhošť Foundation
Trojanovice 210, 744 01
e-mail: matice.radhost@email.cz
web: www.matice-radhost.cz
How to get to chapel?
By bus: to Pustevny from the bus station in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm or stop Prostřední Bečva – hotel Zavadilka. By car. From the direction of Bílá, take the road No. 56, then towards Rožnov pod Radhoštěm take the road No. E442, in the village of Prostřední Bečva turn right to Pustevny. The road ends at a parking lot, then no entry. Access to the chapel is possible only after consultation with the forestry administration. On foot: from Pusteven or Pindula along the blue tourist trail, from Rožnov p. Radhoštěm along the red tourist trail.
During the holidays from July to September, the chapel is open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. In very bad weather the chapel is closed. In other months the chapel is open randomly, depending on the weather. If you are interested in visiting the chapel with a larger group, it is better to arrange in advance at the Municipal Office of Trojanovice (556 835 022). The chapel is also used for services.
Tips for accommodation?
- Radegast Mountain Hotel, Dolní Bečva 287, 75655 Dolní Bečva
- Hotel Maměnka, Prostřední Bečva 221, 75656 Prostřední Bečva
- Hotel Tanečnica, Prostřední Bečva 158, 75656 Prostřední Bečva
- Bungalows Pustevny, Prostřední Bečva 613, 75656 Prostřední Bečva
- Cottage Šumná, Prostřední Bečva 224, 75656 Prostřední Bečva
- Cottage in Pustevny, Trojanovice 660, 74401 Trojanovice
- Koliba Wallachia, Trojanovice 663, 74401 Trojanovice