Church of Saint John the Baptist

The Church of Saint John the Baptist in Nová Seninka is a small baroque church standing in a village in the Šumperk District of the Olomouc Region, close to the Czech-Polish border in the Rychlebské Mountains foothills. The single-nave building was constructed in 1689, when the village was still known under its German name, Spieglitz (Czech: Špiklice). Only after 1945, when the area was resettled by newcomers from the Wallachia region (Valašsko), was the village renamed Nová Seninka — a name the church has carried ever since.

What is the history behind the church?

Although the building itself dates to the late 17th century, the church's founding document was issued in 1766, granting it independent pastoral care with an assigned chaplain. Another milestone followed in 1784, when a parish was formally established at the church. A tower was added at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, giving the structure its current, more vertical silhouette. In the mid-1990s, the facade underwent renovation, preserving its legible baroque outline. The building was listed as a cultural monument in 1958.

Which parish does the church belong to?

Despite bearing the name of the village of Nová Seninka, the church is administratively part of the parish in neighboring Staré Město. This explains why some sources and maps associate the building with Staré Město — it reflects ecclesiastical administration, not the church's actual location, which is within the boundaries of Nová Seninka.

What is worth seeing inside?

The centerpiece of the interior is a portal-style altar retable flanked by three niches. The central niche holds a sculptural group depicting Christ and John the Baptist, referencing the baptism scene in the Jordan — a direct nod to the church's patron saint. The side niches contain statues of Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary. This arrangement, typical of baroque altars from the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, forms a coherent composition centered on the church's patron.

Where exactly is the church located?

The church stands in Nová Seninka, a village in the Šumperk District of the Olomouc Region, at coordinates 50.1997, 16.9118. The area sits in the foothills near Staré Město pod Sněžníkem, a popular gateway for visitors heading into the Sudetes mountains.

Who should visit?

The church appeals most to visitors interested in sacred architecture and the history of the Czech-German borderlands — the renaming of the village from Spieglitz to Nová Seninka after 1945 is one of many traces of the postwar resettlement that reshaped this region. It also makes a worthwhile stop for anyone exploring the area around Staré Město pod Sněžníkem who wants to see a village baroque church with its original altar decoration intact.

Frequently asked questions

When was the church in Nová Seninka built? The building was constructed in 1689, under the village's former German name, Spieglitz.

Where does the village's current name come from? After 1945, the village was resettled by newcomers from the Wallachia region (Valašsko), who renamed it Nová Seninka.

Does the church have its own parish? Formally it belongs to the parish in Staré Město, although the building itself stands within Nová Seninka.

What is featured on the main altar? A portal-style retable with three niches: the central one holds a sculptural group of Christ and John the Baptist, while the side niches hold statues of Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary.

When was the tower added? At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.