Kaple sv. Terezie

The Chapel of St. Thérèse of Lisieux in Kájov is a small but carefully decorated cemetery chapel standing at the edge of the local cemetery, right next to the pilgrimage complex built around the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It's easy to overlook while visiting the main church, yet it represents a distinct chapter of Kájov's history from the Gothic-Baroque temple beside it.

Where the chapel stands and what it is

The building sits on the west side of the church tower, at the edge of the newer part of the cemetery in Kájov, in the Český Krumlov district of South Bohemia. It functions as a cemetery chapel dedicated to St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873–1897), a French Carmelite nun canonized in 1925 — worth noting, since the wider region also has sites dedicated to a different saint with a similar name, St. Teresa of Ávila.

When it was built and in what style

The chapel was constructed in 1752 in the Late Baroque style. It follows the typical approach of small-scale sacred architecture of that period: a simple, compact form enriched with decorative detail rather than a monumental design.

What the exterior looks like

The floor plan is roughly square with chamfered corners, giving the structure a slightly polygonal silhouette. The mansard roof is covered with the clay roof tiles (prejzy) typical of the region. The entrance faces east and takes the form of a rectangular portal reached by three stone steps. Above the entrance sits an ornate brick dormer with an oval window — the most distinctive feature of the front facade.

Three sides of the building have windows with an arched, "casule" shape, while the west side has a blind window — purely decorative, with no role in lighting the interior. The facades are further articulated with shallow rectangular niches and stucco details in trapezoidal and oval shapes, complemented by a moulded cornice and window surrounds. A wire cross finial tops the roof ridge.

Can visitors go inside

The chapel is a protected heritage building, but it is not open to the public — the interior is inaccessible to visitors. It can, however, be viewed from the outside while walking through the cemetery grounds and around the church complex in Kájov, which makes for a quiet, pleasant stop on a visit to the village.

Heritage protection status

The building has been listed as a protected cultural monument since May 3, 1958, and remains in a well-preserved condition despite having no public-facing use.

FAQ

Who is the chapel in Kájov dedicated to? St. Thérèse of Lisieux (St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus), a French Carmelite nun who lived from 1873 to 1897 and was canonized in 1925.

When was the chapel built? It was built in 1752, in the Late Baroque style.

Can visitors enter the chapel? No — the interior is not open to the public; it can only be viewed from the outside.

Where exactly is it located? At the edge of the cemetery in Kájov, on the west side of the tower of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, in the Český Krumlov district.

Is this the same building as the Church of the Assumption in Kájov? No. It's a separate, much smaller structure with a cemetery function, though it stands right next to the main pilgrimage church and is part of the same complex.