Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on Hora Matky Boží in Králíky

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is an early Baroque sanctuary crowning the hill of Hora Matky Boží ("Mountain of the Mother of God") above Dolní Hedeč, a part of the town of Králíky in the Pardubice Region, right by the Polish border. The church anchors a large monastery and pilgrimage complex that has drawn visitors from both sides of the border for more than three centuries.

How did this pilgrimage site come to be?

The sanctuary's story starts with Tobiáš Jan Becker, a native of Králíky who later became Bishop of Hradec Králové. As a boy, he used to climb the nearby hill with other children to sing Marian songs, and he made a private vow that one day, once grown, he would build a church there. Decades later, holding high church office, he had both the means and the standing to see that childhood promise through.

When was the church built, and what does it house?

Becker laid the foundation stone himself in August 1696. Construction took four years, culminating in August 1700, when the faithful ceremonially carried an image of Our Lady of the Snows into the finished building, to which the church was then dedicated. That image has remained the focal object of devotion for pilgrims visiting Hora Matky Boží ever since.

What does the wider monastery complex include?

The church does not stand alone. It is surrounded by an extensive Baroque ensemble comprising covered ambits (cloister walkways), a Chapel of the Holy Stairs, a spring regarded by pilgrims as miraculous, a cemetery, and a pilgrims' house. This layout, typical of large Central European Baroque shrines, allowed the site to host crowds of pilgrims while also sustaining a permanent religious community.

Who has cared for the sanctuary over the centuries?

Custodianship passed through several religious orders: first the Servites, then the Redemptorists, and from 1960 to 2002 the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. Today the Redemptorists have returned to look after the church and monastery, continuing centuries of pastoral care at the site.

Why is it worth visiting today?

Hora Matky Boží remains an active place of worship, with regular services and pilgrimages still held here. Beyond its religious significance, the combination of Baroque architecture and hilltop setting also draws visitors with no particular religious purpose. The view over Králíky and the nearby Králický Sněžník massif from the hill is an extra reason to make the climb while in the region.

FAQ

Where exactly is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary? On the hill of Hora Matky Boží above Dolní Hedeč, part of the town of Králíky in the Pardubice Region, close to the Polish border.

Who initiated the church's construction? Tobiáš Jan Becker, a Králíky native who became Bishop of Hradec Králové and fulfilled a childhood vow to build a church on the hill.

When was the church built? Construction began in 1696 and finished in 1700, when an image of Our Lady of the Snows was ceremonially brought into the new church.

What else belongs to the complex besides the church itself? Cloister ambits, a Chapel of the Holy Stairs, a spring, a cemetery, and a pilgrims' house, together forming a Baroque monastery and pilgrimage complex.

Who looks after the sanctuary today? The Redemptorists, who returned to the site after a period when the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary ran the monastery.