Church of Saint Adalbert

The Church of St. Adalbert in Broumov is a Benedictine monastery church whose roots go back to the 14th century, though its present Baroque appearance is the result of a rebuilding led by architects from the Dientzenhofer family. The church stands at the heart of the Broumov monastery complex and belongs to the so-called Broumov Group of Churches, a network of Baroque churches typical of this border region of north-eastern Bohemia.

How did the church's history begin?

The first written record of the church dates to 1357, when a Gothic, two-aisled building was completed, closed off by a polygonal chancel and featuring a large clock tower along with a smaller bell turret on the north side of the choir. This medieval layout survived largely unchanged for more than three centuries, until a disaster forced a complete rebuild.

What happened to the church in the 17th century?

In 1684 a fire severely damaged the Gothic structure. Reconstruction began under Abbot Tomáš Sartorius, following a design by Martin Allio of Löwenthal, and was completed during the tenure of Abbot Otmar Zinke by Christoph and Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer — the same family of architects who reshaped much of the rest of the Broumov monastery, including a new convent building finished in 1733.

What can visitors see inside?

The vault is decorated with frescoes depicting scenes from the life of St. Adalbert, while the presbytery walls carry paintings illustrating the monastery's history alongside episodes from the life of Christ. The stucco work was created by the Italian artists Tommaso and Antonio Soldati. The sculptural decoration of the main altar was originally the work of Jan Brokoff, but in 1722 it was replaced with new statues of St. Wenceslas and St. John of Nepomuk, produced by the workshop of Matěj Václav Jäckel.

What is the Broumov Group of Churches?

St. Adalbert's is counted among the churches forming the so-called Broumov Group of Churches — a cluster of Baroque places of worship scattered across the surrounding towns and villages, most of them shaped by the same Dientzenhofer workshop active in the region. For visitors exploring the area, the church is a natural stop on the trail of local sacred heritage, alongside the Broumov monastery itself, which remains the town's main attraction.

Where is the church and how do you get there?

The church stands in Broumov, a town in the Náchod district of the Hradec Králové Region, right next to the border with Poland. It sits within the monastery grounds in the historic centre of town, so a visit to the church naturally combines with a walk through the courtyards and interiors of the Benedictine monastery.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Church of St. Adalbert in Broumov built? The first record of a Gothic church on the site dates to 1357, but the building's current Baroque appearance comes from a reconstruction carried out at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century.

Why was the church rebuilt in Baroque style? A fire in 1684 badly damaged the original Gothic structure. The rebuilding was carried out by architects connected to the Dientzenhofer family, key figures of Bohemian Baroque architecture.

What is worth seeing inside the church? Frescoes depicting the life of St. Adalbert and the history of the monastery, stucco decoration by Tommaso and Antonio Soldati, and statues of St. Wenceslas and St. John of Nepomuk from the workshop of Matěj Václav Jäckel at the main altar.

Is the church part of a tourist trail? Yes, it is listed as one of the churches in the Broumov Group of Churches, a set of Baroque buildings characteristic of this part of the Czech Republic.