Church of Saint Mary

The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary stands on a lime-tree-covered hill called Hájek, at the southern edge of the village of Kostníky in the Třebíč District of the Vysočina Region, Czech Republic. It is a small, early Baroque single-nave building, listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic, surrounded by a cemetery that holds the graves of the once-local French family Séur-Cabanac.

When and why was the church at Hájek built?

The church was built around the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, most likely in 1696, and its origin has an unusual backstory. The Olomouc chapter wanted a new church for the area to be built in neighboring Kdousov, not in Kostníky. The local nobility, the Berchtold family, had sought permission to build a church of their own in the village of Police, but that request was refused. As a result, they built a smaller church — essentially a chapel with the standing of a church — in Kostníky instead, on the hill of Hájek. Ever since, the building has functioned as a branch church of the Roman Catholic parish of Kdousov, without its own resident clergy.

What is there to see around the church?

The church is ringed by a cemetery containing the tombstones of the Séur-Cabanac family, a French household that settled in this part of Vysočina. Such a clearly French presence is unusual for a rural Czech parish, and it adds an unexpected layer of history alongside the otherwise typical local Baroque architecture.

The other distinctive feature of the site is its old lime-tree stand: around 240 lime trees grow on the grounds surrounding the church. Since 2011 the trees have been undergoing gradual regeneration, aimed at keeping the characteristic wooded hilltop intact for future decades. Walking up through the old limes to reach the church is, for many visitors, as much a part of the experience as the building itself.

Is this a pilgrimage site?

Yes — the church at Hájek serves as a pilgrimage destination for the surrounding community. Combined with its secluded position on a wooded hill away from the village center, this pilgrimage role means visitors tend to come here around Marian feast days and local pilgrimages rather than stumbling upon it in passing.

Frequently asked questions

How do you get to the church in Kostníky? The church stands on the Hájek hill at the southern edge of Kostníky village, in the Třebíč District. Its GPS coordinates are 48.973266, 15.635076; the easiest approach is by car or on foot from the village, along the path leading uphill through the old lime trees.

Is the church open every day? As a branch church of the Kdousov parish, it has no fixed daily opening hours — services are held occasionally, particularly around Marian feasts and pilgrimages.

Why was the church built here instead of in Kdousov? Because the Berchtold family's attempt to get permission to build a church in the village of Police failed. Instead, they built this smaller church in Kostníky, even though the Olomouc chapter had favored a location in Kdousov.

What is the story behind the Séur-Cabanac tombstones? They mark the burials of a French family that settled in this part of Vysočina — their tombstones in the churchyard are one of the few clear traces of a French presence in the surrounding villages.