Church of Saint Cunigunde

The Church of St. Kunhuta (Cunigunde) stands on the main square of Náměšť na Hané, a small market town in the Olomouc Region, right in the heart of the fertile Haná lowlands. The neo-Romanesque building dates from the early 1870s and replaced a much older wooden church, of which only a historic bell survives today.

How do you get there?

Náměšť na Hané lies a short distance west of Olomouc, surrounded by the flat farmland typical of the Haná plain. The church sits directly on náměstí Masarykovo, the town's main square, making it an obvious starting point for exploring the settlement. Driving from Olomouc takes roughly twenty minutes, and the town is also connected to the regional capital by local bus lines.

What is the history behind this church?

The site's religious history stretches back far beyond the current, nineteenth-century structure. Records mention a cemetery surrounding the church as early as the mid-1600s, while the wooden Gothic church that preceded today's building is documented from the early 15th century — and may well be older still. That original timber church served the parish for centuries until it was closed in the 1830s due to its deteriorating condition. Decades of further decay followed, and by the late 1860s the building was in such poor shape that the decision was made to tear it down.

Its replacement, a new masonry church in the neo-Romanesque style, went up between 1871 and 1873. The construction was carried out by master builder V. Crha from nearby Litovel, and the project's principal patron was Count Kinský, owner of the local estate, for whom funding the parish church was a natural extension of his role as landlord over the surrounding area.

What can you see today?

The church follows a single-nave plan, closed at the chancel end by a pentagonal apse that gives the building its distinctive elongated silhouette. On the northern side rises a slender, column-like tower, visible above the rooftops of the surrounding houses and dominating the town square architecturally. Inside the tower hangs a bell cast before 1440 by the bell-founder Hanuš Herbst — one of the few surviving links between today's building and its far older medieval predecessor.

Standing right on the central square, the church also serves as a natural landmark for anyone exploring Náměšť na Hané, framed by the modest town-house architecture typical of small settlements across the Haná region.

When is the best time to visit?

Náměšť na Hané can be visited year-round, but spring and summer are especially suited to walking the surrounding agricultural countryside of Haná or combining a stop here with a trip to nearby Olomouc. It is worth checking the church's opening hours or Mass schedule in advance, since access to the interior outside of services can be limited.

Frequently asked questions

Is today's church the same building as the medieval wooden church? No — the older wooden church was demolished in the late 1860s, and the current masonry church was built between 1871 and 1873. The two structures are linked mainly through the bell, cast before 1440, which was carried over from the earlier building.

Who paid for the current church? The main patron was Count Kinský, owner of the local estate, while the construction itself was carried out by master builder V. Crha from Litovel.

Where exactly is the church located? Directly on náměstí Masarykovo, the main square of Náměšť na Hané, in the center of town.

What are the notable features of the building? The slender tower on the north side, the pentagonal apse enclosing the chancel, and the historic bell cast before 1440 that survived from the earlier church.