svatý Nikolaj

The Orthodox Chapel of Saint Nicholas stands on Doubská hora (Doubí Hill) above Karlovy Vary, right next to the Aberg lookout tower. Built entirely from wood and assembled from parts manufactured in Russia, it is one of the more unusual religious buildings in the whole region — a small piece of Russian church architecture transplanted onto a Bohemian spa-town hillside.

Why is there a Russian-style wooden chapel above Karlovy Vary?

The chapel was built between 1999 and 2000, financed privately by Nikolai Gennadievich Stepanov. Its wooden components were made at a factory in Russia, numbered for assembly, shipped to Karlovy Vary and put together on site like a large prefabricated kit. The foundation stone was blessed on 12 July 1999, on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, and the finished chapel was solemnly consecrated on 16 November 2000 by Christopher (Christofor), Archbishop of Prague and Metropolitan of the Czech Lands.

Can you visit the chapel today?

The chapel served believers and visitors for only a few years after its consecration. For a long time now it has been closed, along with the neighbouring Aberg lookout tower, and is not accessible to the public. Even so, the building remains a striking sight from the outside — a rare example in the Czech Republic of a wooden Orthodox chapel built almost entirely from Russian-made parts.

How do you get there?

Two hiking routes lead up to the chapel. The first is roughly 4.5 kilometres long, starting in central Karlovy Vary at the Grand Hotel Pupp and following the Path of Friendship through the spa forests, passing the Diana lookout tower on the way. The second option is to take bus line 6 to its terminus in Doubí, then follow the blue-marked trail for about 3 kilometres past the site of the former Svatý Linhart café up to the lookout tower. Parking is available near the Doubí bus terminus, which makes this route a practical choice for visitors arriving by car.

What else is there to see nearby?

Doubská hora is a popular viewpoint above Karlovy Vary, and the walk up to it runs through the typical mixed forest of the town's spa woodlands, criss-crossed by a network of marked trails. Although the chapel and the adjoining lookout tower cannot currently be entered, the hike itself and the view of the wooden chapel set against the forest make for a worthwhile destination, especially when combined with a stop at the Diana tower along the way.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside the Chapel of Saint Nicholas in Karlovy Vary? No — the building has been closed to visitors for a long time, just like the neighbouring Aberg lookout tower. It can only be viewed from the outside.

When was the chapel built? Construction took place in 1999–2000. The foundation stone was blessed in July 1999, and the chapel was consecrated in November 2000.

What is the chapel made of? It is built entirely from wood. The components were manufactured and numbered at a factory in Russia, then shipped and assembled on site on Doubská hora.

What is the easiest way to walk there from the city centre? The most convenient route is the roughly 4.5-kilometre Path of Friendship from the Grand Hotel Pupp via the Diana lookout tower. A shorter alternative is to take bus line 6 to Doubí and continue on foot for about 3 kilometres.