Church of Saint Nicholas

The Church of Saint Nicholas in Horní Branná is the oldest church in the entire Podkrkonoší region, the foothill country beneath the Krkonoše (Giant Mountains) on the Czech side of the border. For centuries the local parish stood at the top of the area's church hierarchy, with churches in surrounding villages placed under its authority as branch churches.

How did the church in Horní Branná begin?

The first church on this site was built of wood. It was founded by a member of the Vartenberk family, a branch of the ancient and powerful Markvartici noble house that played a significant role in medieval Bohemia. That original wooden building did not survive the Hussite Wars: it was destroyed, and the adjoining rectory burned down alongside it, leaving the site without a proper church for generations.

When was the stone church built?

The stone church that stands in Horní Branná today was raised more than a century after the destruction of the Hussite Wars, in 1557. The date is tied to Wilhelm of Wallenstein, who moved his seat that year from Štěpanice Castle to Lomnice nad Popelkou. As a result, Štěpanice once again became a branch parish subordinate to Branná, reinforcing the local church's role as the main religious center of the area.

The tower and the bell of Saint Nicholas

For roughly a century and a half after that, the church made do with a wooden belfry. That changed in 1700, when a stone tower was built at the expense of Ferdinand, Count of Harrach. A bell named after the church's patron, Saint Nicholas, was hung in the new tower. That bell is counted today among the most valuable campanological monuments in Bohemia — a distinction related to the craft and history of bell-founding — which makes the tower itself a point of interest for visitors drawn to historic sacred architecture.

The Baroque Chapel of the Holy Trinity

The youngest and architecturally most striking part of the whole complex is the Baroque Chapel of the Holy Trinity, added to the church's Gothic body in 1740. Inside it stands one of the site's most valuable furnishings: a cross inlaid with mother-of-pearl, a 17th-century work of Italian craftsmanship. The combination of a Gothic core with a later Baroque chapel makes the Church of Saint Nicholas a record of several centuries of building work layered on top of one another — a status reflected in its official protection as a cultural monument.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Church of Saint Nicholas in Horní Branná really the oldest in the region? Yes — sources describe it as the oldest church in the whole Podkrkonoší region, with churches in neighboring villages historically subordinate to the Branná parish as its branches.

What is the most valuable object inside the church? The Baroque Chapel of the Holy Trinity, built in 1740, holds a cross inlaid with mother-of-pearl made by Italian craftsmen in the 17th century. The bell of Saint Nicholas, hung in the tower built in 1700 thanks to Ferdinand, Count of Harrach, is another notable treasure.

Was the original church on this spot made of stone? No — the first church, founded by a member of the Vartenberk family, was built of wood and was destroyed during the Hussite Wars. The current stone church dates only from 1557.