Chapel of Saint Anne

Chapel of Saint Anne is a small brick chapel in the Pardubičky district of Pardubice, standing on Anenská street next to the overpass carrying the main Prague–Česká Třebová railway line, a few hundred meters south of the city's central Republic Square. It's a modest but resilient piece of folk devotion that has outlasted nearly two centuries of change in the neighborhood around it.

Where did the chapel come from?

The site had already been a pilgrimage destination in the 18th century. Toward the end of that century, town councilor Ignác Nefka paid for a statue of Saint Anne to be placed here at his own expense, aiming to beautify the area and mark its religious significance. The brick chapel itself came later, built in 1822 at the initiative of a local citizen, Václav Říha. It belongs to a type of rural sacred architecture in which Baroque motifs persisted long after they had fallen out of fashion in urban building — a plain form and modest detailing paired with a straightforward devotional purpose.

How has the chapel changed over time?

In 1908 the chapel underwent repairs, during which a relief of its patroness, created by the sculptor B. Dvořák, was installed in the gable. The entrance gate leading onto the chapel grounds is thought to date from an even older, 18th-century structure that stood on the site before the current building — a physical link back to the original place of worship that predates the 1822 chapel.

Over the following decades the chapel fell into disrepair and was, for a time, closed off from visitors, its physical condition a source of concern. That changed when the building passed into the hands of a private owner, Jiří Hájek, who undertook a thorough restoration. The work culminated in a formal blessing of the renovated chapel in October 2014, led by Josef Kajnek, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Hradec Králové. The restoration was marked by local celebrations and a festival, a sign of how much the chapel still means to the surrounding community.

What should visitors know about the surroundings?

The chapel sits right up against railway infrastructure — the tracks of the Prague–Česká Třebová line run immediately alongside it, and the building itself stands next to the overpass over Anenská street, the very street that takes its name from the saint. As a result, the chapel today functions less as a standalone tourist destination with visitor facilities and more as a small historical landmark along the route between central Pardubice and the Pardubičky district.

Given its size and character, it's worth keeping in mind that the chapel has limited accessibility — it is primarily a piece of sacred architecture and a site of local devotion rather than a major attraction with regular opening hours.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Chapel of Saint Anne in Pardubice built? The current brick chapel was built in 1822 at the initiative of citizen Václav Říha, on the site of an earlier 18th-century place of worship.

Who is the chapel dedicated to? The chapel is dedicated to Saint Anne. A statue of her, funded in the late 18th century by councilor Ignác Nefka, stood on the site before the brick chapel was built.

Where exactly is the chapel located? It stands in the Pardubičky district on Anenská street, next to the overpass over the Prague–Česká Třebová railway line, close to central Pardubice.

Has the chapel been restored recently? Yes. After years of neglect, private owner Jiří Hájek bought and restored the building, and the renovated chapel was blessed in October 2014.

Can visitors go inside the chapel? Given its small size and character, access to the interior is often limited — it's primarily a monument to be seen from the outside, along the route between central Pardubice and the Pardubičky district.