UNESCO site: Zdar nad Sazavou, Saint John of Nepomuk’s Church

There’s one place in particular that is worth seeing in Zdar nad Sazavou, I’m talking about the well-known Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk. The Church became one of the UNESCO heritage in 1944.

Actually, it was the only stop we did there, time was running and our day plan didn’t allow us to see more. We drove through the city centre searching for some signs leading to the church, but if not GPS we could have got lost.

GREEN HILL

The Green Hill, because that’s exactly where the church is situated is a bit distant, let’s say 3 or 4 kilometres away from the city centre. Every year thousands of pilgrimages come to Zdar nad Sazavou to worship John Nepomuk or… to see the unconventional building. I need to admit that I was astonished by the building’s structure. Architect Jan Blazej Santini-Aichl did a really great job, the church was built in Baroque Gothic style in 1719-1722 on the composition of a five-pointed star, probably the symbol of five wounds of Jesus Christ, but also history of John of Nepomuk gets involved in it.

ON YOUR WAY

Sky was overcast, but maybe that’s better. There were just a few sightseers. View from 172 cm above ground is not as beautiful as from bird’s eye. But still, this place is a must when traveling around the Czech Republic. So better prepare yourself to visit it. It doesn’t take long to be fulfilled with photos and information, so you can stop for a moment on your way to Prague or Pardubice. You can find the information board at the main entrance.

SIGHTSEEING

We were unfortunate because the church was closed this day, they were preparing for Church’s night. Which was also a pity that we couldn’t stay any longer. We had to satisfy ourselves with outside sightseeing, which after all wasn’t so bad….

There’s a small cemetery at Church’s yard. The composition of a five-pointed star from the inside looked like small chapels linked with corridors. In addition, there’re three other entrances. Each on different side of the earth. One of them led to a city’s cemetery, while other showed the beautiful chapel of Saint Marketa at the pond.