Chapel of the Divine Heart of Jesus

The Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Our Lord is a small neo-Gothic church in the village of Vysokov, in the Náchod district of the Hradec Králové region, close to the Czech-Polish border. Modest in size but distinctive in shape, it stands beside the old road linking Náchod with Česká Skalice, next to a well-known railway viaduct, and its slender pseudo-Gothic silhouette rises above the rest of the village.

How do you get there?

Vysokov lies just a few kilometres from Náchod, along the road toward Česká Skalice. The chapel sits in the middle of the village, right next to the railway viaduct that has served as a local landmark for decades. Driving from Náchod takes only a few minutes, and the chapel is visible from the main road thanks to its tall tower and pointed Gothic-style windows.

What is the history behind the chapel?

The chapel was built on the initiative of local Catholics, who in the 1930s formed an association dedicated to constructing and maintaining a Roman Catholic chapel of the Sacred Heart of Our Lord in Vysokov. The entire building was funded exclusively through donations and contributions from villagers and wealthy natives of Vysokov — not a single crown came from outside support. It was raised on the site of a former farmstead with a smithy that had earlier burned down. The chapel was consecrated on 30 August 1936, in a ceremony led by the then dean of Náchod.

One especially personal detail ties the building to its founder's own family history. The stained-glass windows in the presbytery were donated by Father Jaroslav Žďárek, dean of Červený Kostelec, who was born in the very farmstead that once stood on this plot of land. As a native of Vysokov, he gave the chapel windows depicting Saint Wenceslas and Saint Ludmila — two of the most important patron figures of Czech statehood and faith.

What will you see inside?

Despite its modest size, the chapel's interior holds carefully crafted furnishings. The main altar, featuring a statue of Christ, and the Marian altar were both created by the workshop of Břetislav Kafka from nearby Červený Kostelec, a town with a long tradition of ecclesiastical craftsmanship. In the presbytery, the stained-glass windows of Saint Wenceslas and Saint Ludmila stand out — not only as decoration, but as a lasting trace of the founder's family connection to the site. The building's silhouette itself, with its narrow pointed-arch windows and neo-Gothic detailing, makes it stand apart from the simpler rural architecture surrounding it in Vysokov.

When should you visit, and when are services held?

The chapel follows its own recurring liturgical calendar. In May, it hosts May devotions and services, and in early June a novena honouring the Sacred Heart of Our Lord takes place, leading up to the chapel's annual patronal feast. The pilgrimage to the chapel usually falls on the Sunday following the Feast of the Sacred Heart, and this is when the site draws the largest number of worshippers and visitors interested in local religious tradition. Anyone planning to visit outside these dates should keep in mind that, like many rural chapels in the region, it tends to be open mainly around service times.

Frequently asked questions

Who paid for the chapel's construction? The entire cost was covered by donations from Vysokov residents and wealthy natives of the village, organized through a dedicated Catholic association founded for this purpose.

What architectural style is the chapel built in? It is built in the pseudo-Gothic (neo-Gothic) style, recognizable by its pointed-arch windows and tall, slender form.

What can be seen in the presbytery? The presbytery holds stained-glass windows depicting Saint Wenceslas and Saint Ludmila, donated by Father Jaroslav Žďárek, dean of Červený Kostelec.

When is the best time to visit? The chapel is most active in May, during its May devotions, and in early June, when a novena and the annual patronal pilgrimage take place on the Sunday after the Feast of the Sacred Heart.