Church of the Virgin Mary in Broumov

The Church of the Virgin Mary in Broumov is a wooden cemetery church in the town of Broumov, in the Central Sudetes region of the Czech Republic. It is considered one of the oldest all-wood sacred buildings in Central Europe, and since 2008 it has been listed as a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic.

Where does the name come from, and how old is the church?

Locals also know the church as "U Naší Milé Paní" or "U Panny Marie pod lipami" — a reference to the linden trees that surround the building. The earliest documents mentioning a church on this spot date back to 1383, but the structure standing today was built in 1449, commissioned by the nearby Benedictine abbey, which held both religious and economic authority over Broumov at the time. From the start it served as a cemetery church, which explains its location away from the town's main square.

How was it built to survive more than five centuries?

The most striking feature of the church is its construction technique: the massive timber frame, made of solid oak beams, was assembled without a single nail. The exterior walls above the covered gallery running around the building, as well as all interior walls, were clad in boards, which helped protect the wood from moisture and weather. Despite the simplicity of the material and technique, Gothic elements survive in the building's form and interior details, marking both its age and its status.

What can visitors see inside and on the gallery?

The covered gallery encircling the church still holds painted boards with chronicle-style inscriptions. Local residents used them to record significant events — floods, outbreaks of plague, fires — alongside more curious notes, such as a locust plague in 1542 or the church tower being torn off by a strong wind in 1550. These wooden records are a rare, direct source of information about everyday life in the region centuries ago, something seldom preserved in this form elsewhere.

Why is this church worth seeing in Broumov?

The Church of the Virgin Mary is a rare surviving example of an architectural tradition that was once common along the Czech-Silesian border but has almost entirely disappeared from the landscape today. For visitors already exploring the nearby Benedictine abbey or Broumov's main square, it makes for a short, natural stop that shows a completely different side of local church architecture — modest, entirely wooden, and still standing since the Middle Ages.

Frequently asked questions

How old is the Church of the Virgin Mary in Broumov? The current building dates from 1449, though documents mentioning a church on this site go back to 1383.

What is the church built from, and what makes its construction unusual? Solid oak beams in a timber frame assembled without a single nail, with board cladding on both the exterior and interior walls.

How does this church differ from Broumov's other churches? Unlike the brick churches in the town center, it is built entirely of wood and has served as a cemetery church since it was built.

Is the church a protected landmark? Yes, it has been listed as a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic since 2008.