Velehrad
Information about the pilgrimage site
Velehrad is one of the most important contemporary places of pilgrimage in Moravia and the Czech Republic. In the 13th century, the first Moravian Cistercian monastery was founded here and this place is associated with Veligrad, which was the political and administrative centre of the Great Moravian Empire from the 9th century and the seat of the first Moravian bishop, St. Cyril, and after him his brother St. Methodius.
Originally a Romanesque basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Sts. Cyril and Methodius, it now has a Baroque appearance. Since its foundation, the monastery has burned down several times, with the worst damage occurring during the Hussite Wars, when the monks were burned by the Hussites. In 1681, a mentally ill monk set fire to Velehrad. The consequences of the fire were removed over the next fifty years. In 1784, the monastery was dissolved as a result of the Josephine reforms. The property was given to the religious fund, the buildings were partly given to the army and partly rented.
The first references to the Velehrad tradition appear in Czech literature from the 13th and 14th centuries. The Cyril and Methodius tradition was abundantly supported in the Luxembourg era, especially during the reign of Charles IV. The dissolution of the monastery in the 18th century thus interrupted the developing Cyril and Methodius veneration and with it the deepening religious and national awareness of the people.
The meaning of the Velehrad tradition is twofold. In its Central European dimension, it points both to the task of Christian universalism and to the importance of the unity of East and West. This tradition helps the Slavic people to develop and understand their spiritual identity.
In 1891, the Apostolate of St. Cyril and Methodius was founded on the initiative of a priest, later the Archbishop of Olomouc, Antonín Cyril Stojan. This newly established tradition of Slavic congresses was interrupted only by the Second World War. The Archbishop of Olomouc, Cardinal Bedřich Fürstenberk, decided to entrust the former Cistercian monastery to the Jesuit Order of the Society of Jesus, which had been active at Velehrad since 1890. In 1919, the Pontifical Missionary Institute for the Eastern Countries was established at the Jesuit College, which was created by upgrading the Missionary Institute of Sts. Cyril and Methodius to a Pontifical Institute. All religious and unionist activities ceased with the liquidation of the monastery in 1950.
The renewal of the importance of this place of pilgrimage began in the 1980s and is mainly associated with Pope John Paul II, who, among other things, gave Vlehrad the Golden Rose, which symbolizes the distinction and eminence of some basilicas of Christian churches around the world.
Tourist attractions in the vicinity
Archaeoskanzen in Modrá – located 1 km from the site of the original Great Moravian settlement. Archaeoskanzen Modrá, the Great Moravian settlement of Central Pomerania illustrates one of the most important stages of our national history. More at https://www.skanzenmodra.cz/archeo.html .
Uherské Hradiště – it lies at the crossroads of ancient trade routes and historians point to the centre of Great Moravia. King Přemysl Otakar II founded a town here in the 13th century, but it was plagued by wars and fires. Later it became a frontier fortress and only began to develop in the 17th century. The Franciscan monastery with the Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, the Jesuit college with the Church of St. Francis Xavier and the Slovácké Museum have been preserved. The town lies in the region of vineyards, there are wine cellars and wine cellars that are open to the public. The distance from Velehrad is 7 km. For more information visit https://www.mesto-uh.cz/ .
Buchlovice Chateau and Buchlov Castle – Buchlov Castle was founded by the Czech king as a defensive fortress, the first written mention of the castle dates back to 1300. The castle was never completely conquered. Buchlovice Castle was built by Jan Dětřich Petřvaldský for his wife in 1699. It was built in the style of an Italian Baroque villa with a beautiful garden. Later it was modified in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is 7 km away from the pilgrimage site. For more information visit https://www.buchlovice.cz/ , https://www.zamek-buchlovice.cz/cs or https://www.hrad-buchlov.cz/cs .
Tupesy – Tupesy, a village in Slovakia where the production of ceramics has a long tradition, is known especially for its faience with rich folk motifs. There is a ceramics museum here. The village is 3 km away from Velehrad. More at https://tupesy.cz/ .
The town of Strážnice was built by King Přemysl Otakar II to defend the provincial borders. Originally a water castle, it was later rebuilt into a Renaissance castle. Today’s appearance is Neo-Renaissance and it houses the National Institute of Folk Culture. The gates from the 16th century and the remains of the fortifications remain. There are several monuments in the town, such as the originally Gothic church of St. Martin, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. Roch or the Jewish synagogue with a cemetery. In the 17th century, there was a school and a congregation of Czech Brothers, where Jan Amos Komenský was educated in 1604-5. The town is the venue of folklore festivals and not far from the town there is an open-air museum of Southeast Moravia. Strážnice is 28 km away from Velehrad. More information at https://www.straznice-mesto.cz/ .
Other tourist attractions in the area can be found on the website:
Accommodation
- Cheap accommodation is available directly in the pilgrimage site in the Velehrad House of Cyril and Methodius: https://www.velehradinfo.cz/ubytovani/ ; Another possibility of cheap accommodation is in the excursion house Stojanov, located next to the pilgrimage site: http://www.stojanov.cz/cenik.html
- Alternatively, commercial accommodation is possible in the surrounding villages.
Availability
By car
By car, it is best to take the route through Staré Město near Uherské Hradiště, parking is available on site.
By public transport
By public transport, the site is accessible by train to Olomouc with a transfer to a bus to Staré Město and from there by local bus to the pilgrimage site. More information can be found on Idos.cz.
On foot
The pilgrimage site is crossed by marked tourist routes of the KČT and the Cyril and Methodius pilgrimage route, which has an international scope. Details are available on the www.mapy.cz.
On a bicycle
There are several cycling routes through the pilgrimage site, more information can be found on the www.mapy.cz.
