Cemetery in the Maria Loreto pilgrim area in Starý Hrozňatov

The cemetery within the Maria Loreto pilgrimage complex in Starý Hrozňatov is a small, no-longer-active burial ground tied to the history of one of the most significant pilgrimage sites on the Czech-German border. It sits on a hill above the village of Starý Hrozňatov, a few kilometers from Cheb, right next to the Baroque Loreto complex.

What is this cemetery?

It is a historic cemetery that belonged to the Maria Loreto pilgrimage complex, a Baroque structure built between 1664 and 1689 on the initiative of the Jesuit college in Cheb, modeled on the Italian Loreto and its Santa Casa, the house said to have been the Virgin Mary's home. The cemetery served the community connected to the shrine and the local clergy, forming an integral part of the sanctuary's surroundings.

What happened to it?

The cemetery ceased to function in its original form, and the site underwent a significant transformation at the turn of the 21st century. In 2000, an enclosed meditation garden was created on the grounds of the former graves, offering pilgrims a quiet space for rest and contemplation. A year later, in 2001, rediscovered stone sculptures from the Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher, part of the great Way of the Cross leading to Loreto, were placed within this garden. This preserved the memory of the old cemetery while giving the site a new role as a peaceful corner within the pilgrimage grounds.

What does the surrounding complex look like?

The Maria Loreto complex itself centers on a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto standing in an inner courtyard, surrounded by covered ambulatories with four corner chapels — a layout typical of Loreto-style shrines across Central Europe. A Way of the Cross stretching several kilometers, with 29 stations, once led pilgrims to the complex, and the cemetery, later the meditation garden, lies close to this route, forming one spiritual whole with it.

What is the history of the site's restoration?

The entire complex, including the area of the former cemetery, underwent thorough reconstruction between 1992 and 2010, carried out through Czech-German cooperation. This work restored the shrine to something close to its original character after decades of neglect during the postwar period, when the border region emptied out and many religious buildings fell into disrepair.

Who visits the site today?

The Maria Loreto shrine and its surrounding grounds, including the former cemetery, draw more than 10,000 pilgrims and tourists from across Europe every year. Czech-language masses are held every two weeks during the season, German-language masses once a month, and the site regularly hosts pilgrimages organized jointly by believers from both sides of the border.

Frequently asked questions

Can you still see gravestones at the cemetery? The former cemetery grounds were converted into a meditation garden in 2000, so the site now serves a contemplative purpose rather than functioning as a traditional burial ground with visible graves.

What stands on the site of the former cemetery today? An enclosed meditation garden, home since 2001 to rediscovered stone sculptures from the Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher, originally part of the great Way of the Cross.

How do you get there? The cemetery and the entire Maria Loreto complex sit on a hill above Starý Hrozňatov, a few kilometers from central Cheb, easily reached by car or on foot via the pilgrimage trail.

Is it worth combining with a visit to the shrine? Yes — the cemetery-turned-garden is an integral part of the Loreto complex and is best seen as part of a visit to the whole Baroque site, including the Way of the Cross.