Chapel of Laska

Kaplička Lasky is a slender, neo-Gothic chapel standing on a wooded slope above Lesní pramen (Forest Spring) in the northern part of Mariánské Lázně, the famous Czech spa town. It is a modest structure compared with the town's grand colonnades and sanatoriums, but it carries a personal story of grief and devotion, and it makes a quiet stop on the walking trails that lead toward the Geopark and Žižkův vrch.

Who built the chapel above the Forest Spring?

The chapel was commissioned by Julius Laska, the director of the local theatre in Mariánské Lázně. He used to come to this exact spot to pray for the recovery of his ailing mother. She died before the building was finished, yet Laska went ahead with the project regardless. A memorial plaque on the chapel states that it was raised "as a result of a vow, out of gratitude and reverence" toward the Virgin Mary and in memory of his late mother. The design came from Josef Forberich, an architect working in Mariánské Lázně, and the finished chapel was consecrated on 26 July 1909, with Abbot Helmer presiding over the ceremony.

Why is it also called the "Chapel of Love"?

The name Kaplička Lasky simply reflects the founder's surname. After 1945, though, the building increasingly became known under the near-homophone Kaplička lásky — literally "Chapel of Love" — since "Laska" happens to sound very close to the Czech word "láska," meaning love. Both names refer to the same chapel, even though the coincidence has occasionally led tourist sources to describe them as two separate places, which has only added to the small legend surrounding the building.

What does the chapel look like?

Kaplička Lasky is a compact, narrow building executed in neo-Gothic style, a form frequently chosen for small devotional structures built around the turn of the 20th century in the spa towns of Central Europe. It is now a protected heritage site, a status that reflects its value as a piece of Mariánské Lázně's history dating back more than a century.

How do you get there and what else is nearby?

The chapel sits on the slope overlooking Lesní pramen and Chopinova street, within a protected natural area on the edge of the spa town. It fits naturally into a longer walk that also takes in the Geopark's educational trail, which features more than twenty information panels on local rock formations, as well as the viewpoint on Žižkův vrch and the nearby Amáliina výšina. A visit to the chapel is therefore easy to combine with time spent among the town's green, elevated surroundings, away from the main promenade and colonnades.

Frequently asked questions

Who founded Kaplička Lasky? Julius Laska, director of the local theatre in Mariánské Lázně, who built it as a votive offering for his mother's health.

When was the chapel built? It was completed and consecrated in 1909, on 26 July, in a ceremony led by Abbot Helmer.

Who designed the chapel? The architect Josef Forberich, who was active in Mariánské Lázně.

Are Kaplička Lasky and Kaplička lásky the same place? Yes — it is the same building. The second name became common after 1945 because the founder's surname sounds almost identical to the Czech word for love.

What else is worth seeing nearby? The Geopark educational trail, the viewpoint on Žižkův vrch, and Amáliina výšina are all within an easy walk of the chapel.