Church of Saints Fabian and Sebastian (Zákupy)

The Church of Saints Fabian and Sebastian is the deanery parish church of Zákupy, a small town in the Česká Lípa District of the Liberec Region in northern Bohemia. A three-nave building with a corner tower, set beside an old parish cemetery, it ranks among the most notable historic churches of this part of the Czech Lake District.

Where exactly is the church, and how do you get there?

The church stands close to the center of Zákupy, on the road toward Mimoň, next to the rectory and the old parish graveyard. Zákupy lies east of Česká Lípa, on a green-marked hiking trail that runs from the town's railway station toward Sloup, making the church an easy stop for anyone arriving by train. In some databases the site is listed under Božíkov, a small village south of the town. This isn't a mistake — Božíkov has been administratively joined to the municipality of Zákupy since 1964, even though the church itself stands in the town of Zákupy proper, the seat of that shared municipality.

Why does the church look the way it does today?

An earlier church already stood on this spot before 1458. The present building was constructed between 1550 and 1562 at the initiative of Zdislav Berka of Dubá, then lord of the Zákupy estate, who had it built as a larger replacement for the older structure. An iron cross dated 1560 still tops the tower roof, a surviving witness to that original construction. In 1863 the church was remodeled in a neo-Gothic (pseudo-Gothic) style, and most of the interior furnishings from that renovation have survived largely intact to the present day. The building is now protected as a cultural monument.

How is the church laid out, and what can you see inside?

The church has a three-nave layout with a polygonal presbytery, a tower set at the northwest corner, and a sacristy and oratory added along the sides. Inside, next to a side Marian altar, visitors can see the stone tombstone relief of Alina Chvalkovská, dated 1578 and carrying a Czech-language inscription. Two statues of saints and a painting of the Holy Trinity both date from the mid-18th century. Beneath the main nave, in front of the high altar, lies a burial crypt holding twenty-three members of the Berka of Dubá family, along with a Duchess of Tuscany and her husband.

What is there to see in the churchyard cemetery?

Behind the church spreads an old parish cemetery with several valuable tombstones, including grave markers dated 1732 and 1745. It's a quiet corner that rounds out the picture of a once-wealthy parish tied closely to the Berka family.

When and how can you visit?

The exterior of the church and its surrounding cemetery can be visited freely year-round. The Roman Catholic parish of the Česká Lípa deanery, which administers the site, can provide information about Mass times and any access to the interior, either on site or by phone. Spring and summer are the most pleasant seasons to explore Zákupy and its surroundings, when longer days also make it easy to combine a visit with the nearby trail toward Sloup.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly does the Church of Saints Fabian and Sebastian stand? In the town of Zákupy, Česká Lípa District, close to the center, next to the rectory and the old parish cemetery.

Are Božíkov and Zákupy the same place? Not quite — Božíkov is a separate village, but it has belonged to the same municipality as Zákupy since 1964, and the church itself stands in Zákupy.

Who commissioned the current church building? Zdislav Berka of Dubá, lord of the Zákupy estate, who had the present church built between 1550 and 1562 to replace an older structure.

Who is buried in the church's crypt? Twenty-three members of the Berka of Dubá family, along with a Duchess of Tuscany and her husband.

Can visitors go inside the church? The exterior and cemetery grounds are freely accessible; for access to the interior, it's best to contact the Roman Catholic parish of the Česká Lípa deanery.