Hostýn

Information about the pilgrimage site

There is a Marian pilgrimage site with a great tradition in the Hostýn Hills in Moravia. It is one of the highest pilgrimage sites in Bohemia. The Basilica Minor of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary welcomes pilgrims with an impressive mosaic image of Our Lady of St. Hostýn on its 25 m2 facade.  This Baroque church was built by the owner of the estate, František Antonín of Rottal, in 1721-48, probably to a design by the architect Cirani von Bolleshaus on the site of the old church. The temple began to decay after Emperor Joseph II decreed the closure and dissolution of the pilgrimage site. The church was restored to its present state at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1912, Our Lady of St. Hostýn was crowned. Hostýn Hill has two peaks, one with a lookout tower, the Chapel of the Holy Cross and a wind power station. On the other is a pilgrimage site with accommodation facilities. Three Stations of the Cross lead to the basilica, the most famous of which is by the architect Dušan Jurkovič. The monumental access staircase has 250 steps. The pilgrimage site is looked after by the Order of the Society of Jesus.

The legend of the pilgrimage site dates back to the 13th century, when the local population was plagued by Tatar raids. The inhabitants took refuge on a hill where they prayed to the Virgin Mary for salvation. She answered their prayers and sent a great storm against the enemies, who scattered. That is why Our Lady of the Holy Host has in her arms the baby Jesus who throws lightning bolts. The original image of Our Lady of Protection was destroyed by the Lutheran Václav of Bítov, the then owner of the estate. It was replaced by a new image and now a statue of the Virgin Mary on the main altar. The Society of the Holy Hostýn Matrix, founded in the 19th century, has a great contribution to the development of the pilgrimage site, whose task is to raise the honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Hostýn.

Tourist attractions in the vicinity

Bystřice pod Hostýnem – in the 14th century the place began to gain importance. The Lord of Kunštát began to build his mansion here, which was later rebuilt into a chateau by the new owners, the Rotalls. It went through several building phases, from Gothic, Renaissance to Classicism. In the town stands the Church of St. Giles, which preserves a silver painting of the Virgin Mary, called the Rotall painting. It was moved here from Hostýn. Two modern fountains in the town are also worth mentioning. The first one, Our Lady of Victory, from 1994 by academic sculptor Daniel Ignác Trubač and the second one, the Rainbow Fountain, from the same period, by academic sculptor Václav Šerák and academic architect Bohumil Chalupníček. The town of Bystřice pod Hostýnem became famous for the production of bentwood furniture. In 1861, German industrialists Michael Thonet and his son came here. Their 19th-century villa now houses a modern sales exhibition of the TON company. It is 6.5 km from Bystřice to Hostýn. More at https://www.bystriceph.cz/index.asp .

Hostýnské vrchy – on these wooded hills there are many protected natural areas such as the meadows Pod Kozincem and Stráň, where Carpathian orchids bloom. There are 300-year-old trees here, the ruins of Lukov Castle. Since 2015, the highest hill Kelčský Javorník has a beautiful lookout tower made of bent wooden slats. Another lookout tower is on the Hostýn hill, which can be reached on foot from Kelčský Javorník along the yellow hiking trail, which is 7 km long. For more information visit https://www.hostynskevrchy.cz/rozhledny/ .

Lipník nad Bečvou – the town of Lipník nad Bečvou was founded on the old trade route on the river Bečva. The first written mention dates back to the 13th century, the town still has preserved walls with bastions from the 16th and 17th centuries. In addition to 105 listed houses, there are two churches and a chapel. The Church of St. James, originally Gothic, has a free-standing Renaissance bell tower with three bells, the oldest of which dates from 1464. The 16th-century Church of St. Francis Seraphim was originally built as a fraternal church and later rebuilt in the Baroque style by the Piarists. The castle built in the early 17th century by George of Bruntál from Vrbno is now the seat of the town. The town was accepted into the Circle of European Metalworking Towns and as a result is decorated with many works of art made of metal. The town is 27 km away from Hostýn. More at https://www.mesto-lipnik.cz/ .

Helfštýn Castle – the castle was probably built in the 13th century… It is certain that in the 14th century Vok of Kravaře owned this important stronghold in the landscape. Then the castle changed hands frequently. Under the Ludanic family of Bruntál, the castle was given a Renaissance appearance. The next owners, the Ditrichsteins, did not show much interest in the castle and its importance declined. Today Helfštýn is one of the largest castles in Central Europe. Every year in August, a meeting of artistic blacksmiths called Hefaiston is held here. The castle is 26 km away from Hostýn. For more information visit Helfstyn (helfstyn.cz) .

Rymice – In this village we can find a small open-air museum of folk buildings, nearby there is a preserved wooden windmill. On the way to Rymice, there is the town of Holešov, where there is a baroque castle with a very interesting garden with water features. There are also Jewish monuments, a synagogue and a cemetery in the town. The distance from Hostýn to Holešov is 19 km and to Rymice 22 km. For more information visit https://www.navylet.cz/cs/cil/skanzen-rymice-rymice , or https://www.holesov.cz/historie .

Other tourist attractions in the area can be found on the website:

https://www.slovacko.cz/en/

https://www.cyril-methodius.cz/cs/