Pilgrimage site Stará Boleslav
Information about the pilgrimage site
Stará Boleslav is a former town and a historically significant place, which since 1960 has been one of the parts of the Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav district. Since 1992, the historic centre of the town has been a town conservation area. Stará Boleslav has also become the oldest place of pilgrimage in the Czech lands associated with the St. Wenceslas tradition (the National St. Wenceslas Pilgrimage) and the Marian cult.
At the beginning of the 10th century, a Přemyslid stronghold was established in these places, perhaps during the reign of Spytihnev I. At that time, there was at least one church here, and it was dedicated to St. Cosmas and Damian. On the morning after the annual feast of the church’s patrons, the Czech prince St. Wenceslas was murdered by his brother Boleslav at its door on 28 September 935 (sources also mention the year 929).
The legend of St. Wenceslas is known beyond the borders of Bohemia. Prince Boleslav invited his brother and ruler Wenceslas to celebrate his christening in Boleslav and on the way to the mass he had his brother murdered. Three years later, Boleslav took the body of St. Wenceslas to Prague. Stará Boleslav, the site of the martyrdom of the patron saint of the Czech lands, ranks among the most important pilgrimage sites in Bohemia.
Today, the most important pilgrimage church in Stará Boleslav is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which was built at the beginning of the 17th century and is the oldest Marian pilgrimage site in Bohemia. The church preserves the so-called Palladium of the Bohemian Land, a 20 cm gilded copper gothic relief of the Madonna of Staroboleslav from the turn of the 14th and 15th century. According to legend, it was given by Princess St. Ludmila to St. Wenceslas, who had it with him at the time of the murder. The Czech nation turned to Palladium for prayer in times of evil for the Czech land.
From Prague to Stara Boleslav there is the Holy Way, Via Sancta, from 1674, which had 44 niche chapels with fresco decorations from individual donors. Those that have survived stand along the old Boleslav road. Today, the St Wenceslas National Pilgrimage is still very lively; on the day of the pilgrimage, the skull of St Wenceslas, which is otherwise kept in St Vitus Cathedral, is brought to Boleslav from Prague. The St. Wenceslas National Pilgrimage is celebrated on 28 September and is a national holiday. The Marian Pilgrimage is celebrated on the Feast of the Assumption and the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.
Tourist attractions in the vicinity
Brandýs nad Labem – the castle and the town – forms a double town with Stara Boleslav. In the town there is the originally Gothic church of St. Lawrence, the Renaissance church of the Conversion of St. Paul, the Renaissance bridge from1603 and the Renaissance chateau, which is now owned by the town. The first written mention of the castle in Brandýs dates back to 1354, when it was owned by Jan of Michalovice. The seat was especially popular with the rulers of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty. The castle is one of the most important Renaissance monuments in Bohemia. More information at https://www.brandysko.cz/ .
Mělník – the royal eternal town towering over the confluence of the Elbe and Vltava rivers is 26 km away from Stará Boleslav. Vines have been cultivated on its slopes since the Middle Ages until today. The town has several churches, the most important being the Church of St. Peter and Paul, a Romanesque building that has been rebuilt several times. The most important monument is the Mělník Castle, originally a fortress where, according to legend, St. Ludmila was born. During the reign of the Přemyslids, a Gothic castle was built to serve the widowed wives of the Czech kings. The castle was rebuilt in the 17th century into a comfortable noble residence. The castle is owned by the Lobkowicz family and you can visit both the interiors and the castle winery. There is a magnificent view of the countryside, especially of the mythical Mount Říp. For more information visit https://m.melnik.cz/poznejte-melnik/ms-1008/p1=1008#mosn1008 .
Kokořínsko – the famous protected landscape area is located 39 km from Stara Boleslav. It is a very beautiful natural area, full of romantic sandstone rocks, wild ravines, picturesque folk buildings. The centre of the area is Kokořín Castle from the 14th century, destroyed by the Hussites and rebuilt in the early 20th century. The castle is open to the public. The area also includes the ruins of Bezděz Castle and the popular Máchovo Lake. For more information visit https://kokorinsko.nature.cz/poznejte-chko .
Lysá nad Labem – there is a chateau on the site of a gothic castle. It was later rebuilt in the Renaissance style and its current appearance is from the last reconstruction in the Classicist style. It was very popular with Emperor Rudolf II. Today the building is a home for the elderly, but the castle park with its beautiful sculptural decoration is open to the public. The sculptures in the park come from the workshop of Matthias Bernard Braun and Ignác František Platzer. This protected cultural monument is 13 km from Stará Boleslav. More information at https://www.mestolysa.cz/redakce/index.php?clanek=332690&xuser=871271451363695766&lanG=cs&slozka=302894 .
The Museum of ethnography of the Polab region – Přerov nad Labem – a museum of folk architecture of the central Polab region was founded around 1900. There are almost 40 folk buildings, whose interiors depict life in a Polab village since the 18th century. Cultural events and exhibitions are held here. The museum is 16 km from Stará Boleslav. For more information visit https://www.polabskemuzeum.cz/ .
Other tourist attractions in the area can be found on the website:
Accommodation
- There are several options to choose from locally, e.g. https://www.staraboleslav.com/ubytovani/ or https://www.cestaceska.cz/cs/poutni-cesty/ostatni/moznosti-ubytovani.html
- Other private accommodation in the vicinity of the pilgrimage site
Availability
By car
The town of Stará Boleslav is accessible by car, there is a possibility of parking. Current information can be found on the homepage.
By public transport
The site is accessible by bus and train. Details of connections can be checked at www.idos.cz.
On foot
Several marked tourist routes lead to Stara Boleslav, the Zittau branch of the European St. James Route, which continues via Prague to Santiago de Compostela, also passes through the town. More information can be found at www.mapy.cz.
On a bicycle
There are several cycle routes through Stara Boleslav, most of them crossing Prague. More information can be found at www.mapy.cz.
