WANDERING THROUGH A SPIRITUAL LANDSCAPE
Starting point: Hradec Králové
From 1307 onwards, this ancient location served as a dowry town of the queens of Bohemia and it was they themselves who also greatly contributed to its development. In the early 14th century, Eliška Rejčka, a widow of the monarch, had a brick church built here and consecrated to the Holy Ghost. In 1664 a bishopric was established in Hradec, and in the 18th century, Emperor Josef II had the town rebuilt as a Baroque fortress. Abolished on the Emperor's order, some of the town's churches and monasteries were adapted to serve for military purposes. In the early 20th century, a profound change in the town's design, carried out under the supervision of outstanding architects, turned Hradec Králové into a model functionalist town.

Králíky
A Way of the Cross climbs to a pilgrimage site located on the Mountain of the Mother of God (Mons Matris) near Králíky. Built in the 18th century, it consists of a Marian church with splendid sculptural decorations, the Chapel of the Holy Stairs and the residence of the Order of the Redemption. In the 1950s, the complex served as an internment facility for monks from the monasteries abolished by the communist regime, in an attempt to suppress religious life in the country. Many members of religious orders were brought to trial, imprisoned or sent to labour camps.

Broumov
The local Benedictine monastery was another facility which once served as an internment camp for priests, and later also for nuns from the disbanded religious orders and communities. Today the extensive abbey complex is once again under church administration and some of its buildings are home to a museum of local history and geography. The construction of the Broumov monastery, one of the most remarkable relics of Baroque monastic architecture, was commissioned by an art-loving abbot. The complex, like a host of other, surprisingly large churches built in the surrounding small villages, is the work of the famous architect K. I. Dienzenhofer.

Kuks
F. A. Špork, an enlightened nobleman and a great patron of art, had a stately Baroque spa complex built on the banks of the River Labe. Its fame was expected to outshine that of the Karlovy Vary spa. Unfortunately, a series of devastating fires and floods dramatically reduced its size. The ecclesiastical grounds with a hospital and a unique collection of allegorical statues by M. B. Braun, which grace the entrance terraces, are the only surviving remnants of this once magnificent estate. Between 1726 and 1734, Braun fashioned groups of sculptures and reliefs on religious themes into the living rock located in a nearby forest, in a natural park made for spa guests, which was called Bethlehem.

TIP: Třebechovice - the Museum of Nativity Scenes
The tradition of the installation of nativity scenes depicting the birth of the Infant Jesus has for centuries been an inseparable part of traditional Czech folk Christmas holidays. The Třebechovice museum displays a collection of rare folk nativity scenes, including the renowed work of Probošt. This wooden mechanical artefact consists of hundreds of moving, as well as stationary, small figures fitted in a scene measuring 7 x 3 x 2 metres.

IN THE HEART OF MORAVIA
Starting point: Brno
The venue of international fairs and prestigious motorcycle races, Brno, the largest city in Moravia and the second largest city in the Czech Republic, offers an impressive range of cultural opportunities as well as top-quality accommodation for visitors. The main symbol of the town are the two romantic towers of the Church of St Peter and St Paul, located on Petrov Hill. The church is surrounded by a complex of buildings comprising the Brno bishopric and chapter. Brno's most prominent structure in terms of artistic value, the Church of St James the Greater, boasts magnificent late Gothic vaults, whereas the monastic Church of St Thomas is famous for a painting of the Black Madonna the Miracle-worker, the miraculous protector of the town.

Rajhrad
This, the oldest monastery in Moravia, was founded in 1045 by Benedictine monks from Prague. In the late 17th century, the Romanesque cum Gothic complex was remodelled in the grand Baroque style by the brilliant architect Santini, who used a system of oak piles to remove the danger posed by the local swampy subsoil.

Kroměříž
The local archbishop's summer residence is treasured for its wonderful gardens, a masterpiece of landscape architecture that has been added to the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage. The Baroque chateau with its stately halls, library and fabulous picture gallery of European painting is open to the general public.

TIP: The archbishop's chateau cellars in Kroměříž
Every day, the chateau cellars, which boast ideal climatic conditions, offer visitors an impressive selection of excellent Moravian wines. Tours are combined with wine-tasting.

Křtiny
The name of this village translates into English as "baptism", and popular belief has it that St Cyril and St Methodius used to baptize pagans in the nearby valley. From the 13th century onwards, believers came here to worship a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary, believed to be able to heal the sick, which was reportedly found in a blooming chestnut tree during a storm. In the 18th century, a large Baroque pilgrimage complex, referred to as "the Pearl of Moravia", was built here. The complex contains a monumental church consecrated to the Virgin Mary.