All Saints church

All Saints Church stands on the northern edge of Kamenný Újezd, right beside the main road toward České Budějovice, surrounded by a walled cemetery. Kamenný Újezd is a village in the České Budějovice district, roughly nine kilometres southwest of the regional capital, and this small, single-nave church is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the area.

How old is the church?

The oldest part of the building — a single-nave body with a rectangular chancel — is early Gothic and was built around the middle of the 13th century, around the same time the village of Újezd itself was founded. The church is first attested indirectly in 1263: the German name of the village, Steinkirchen, literally "stone church," clearly refers to this masonry building standing among what was then a mostly timber settlement. That name is the root of the village's current Czech name, Kamenný Újezd, which carries the same meaning.

How did the building change over time?

Shortly after 1351 the church was enlarged with a new rectangular, flat-ceilinged chancel and a sacristy added on its north side. A further major phase of rebuilding came during the Baroque period, when the tower was constructed, the windows and doorways were reworked, and the façades received the sculptural articulation typical of that style. As a result, the church today combines medieval structural elements with a Baroque exterior finish.

What has survived from the original interior?

Several medieval features remain inside: ribbed vaults, stone altar slabs, and a late Gothic sanctuary niche used for storing the consecrated host. The church's oldest surviving furnishing dates to the early 16th century — in 1520 the Prague bell-founder Master Bartoloměj cast a large bell for the church. In the mid-18th century the parish acquired new altars, liturgical furnishings, and additional bells, giving the interior the character typical of a Baroque-era village church.

Why is it worth a stop?

All Saints Church is a rare case where each building phase remains legible — from its Gothic origin, through the medieval enlargement of the chancel, to the Baroque tower and façade work. Set within its walled cemetery and positioned right along the main road, the church is clearly visible to anyone passing through Kamenný Újezd and serves as a natural landmark on the route toward České Budějovice.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the church located? On the northern edge of the village of Kamenný Újezd, beside the main road toward České Budějovice, within a walled cemetery.

How old is the church? Its oldest part dates to around the mid-13th century, with the first indirect written mention from 1263.

Why does the village name relate to the church? The German name Steinkirchen ("stone church") referred to this masonry church, in contrast to the mostly wooden buildings of the village at the time.

What is worth seeing inside? Ribbed vaults, stone altar slabs, a late Gothic sanctuary niche, and a bell cast in 1520 by the Prague master Bartoloměj.

Was the church rebuilt over the centuries? Yes — after 1351 the chancel was enlarged and a sacristy added, and during the Baroque period the tower was built and the façades reworked.