THE MYSTICAL BAROQUE The Shroud of Turin and other secrets of the Broumov region Braunau Region LENGTH DURATION 30 km 1 Day Discover the magic of the charming landscape around Broumov, whose monumental Baroque monastery has still not yielded all of its secrets. Find out how a rare copy of the Shroud of Turin was found in the monastery church, or how the Benedictine monks were hiding the famous Devil‘s Bible (Codex Gigas) during the Hussite wars. Explore the perfect architectural composition of the monastery and the surrounding landscape, infl uenced by a unique group of countryside churches by Christoph and Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofers, the genial father and son duo of Baroque architects. Get inspired by the unique fl avour of the Olivětín‘s Brewery beer, whose history goes back to the 14th century. Recommended The Broumov Monastery The St. Wenceslas Church, Broumov Otovice Šonov Heřmánkovice Olivětín #VisitCZ @czechrepublic @VisitCZ CzechTourism 1 How to get to the starting point Broumov Region‘s unspoilt landscape is partially a result of its isolation from the rest of the Czech Republic. It is most-easily reached by car, but buses (from Hradec Králové) and trains (about every two hours from Prague during the day, with one change in Starkoč). The starting point in Broumov is easy to spot. The Broumov Monastery is a unmissable feature and its courtyard can be reached from the main town square. Bicycle rental There is a bicycle rental in the Monastery itself. More information http://www.klasterbroumov.cz/cs/pujcovna-kol-1 Start 1. The Broumov Monastery An impressive Baroque compound whose walls have hidden many secrets. The last of those was surrendered in 1999, when a unique copy of the Shroud of Turin has been discovered in an inconspicuous box in the St. Adalbert Church. There are several dozens of copies of the cloth into which Jesus Christ was supposed to be wrapped after crucifi xion, but the The Broumov Monastery © UPVISION one from Broumov is considered among the best by experts. It is now displayed in the former refectory and you can see it during the monastery Make sure to taste the Dientzenhofer coff ee blend in guided tour. the monastery‘s café. If you are The Benedictine monastery, once rather representative, has been dam- more of a wine person, make aged devastated and in the second half of the 20th century. It was used sure to arrange for an evening visit to the Benedictine Wine as an internation camp for monks and nuns from other Czech religious Cellars, where wine makers orders. Recent years saw its slow return to the former glory, as instigated from all across the Czech by Abbot Otmar Daniel Zinke, who invited Christopher and Kilian Ignaz Republic age their production. Dientzenhofers to Broumov, resulting in their strong infl uence not only on the monastery itself, but also the entire region. Take time to walk through the extensive monastery gardens on the North side of the buildings. These Baroque gardens have been founded in the late 17th century on lands the local villagers had to transfer to the monastery as a punishment for the 1618 rebellion. There is not much left of their former splendour, but the gardens were recently revitalised and contain many attractive locations. They also off er great views of the monastery and the surrounding landscape. Opening times: November – March: daily 10 AM – 3 PM April – October: daily 9 AM – 4 PM /http://www.klasterbroumov.cz ًّ #VisitCZ @czechrepublic @VisitCZ CzechTourism 2 800 m 2. St. Wenceslas Church in Broumov Start your cycling ride to see a unique set of smaller churches designed by the Dientzenhofers in Broumov itself. The smallest church in what is called the Broumov Group. St. Wenceslas, is right by the former lower gate. Its footprint is just 7 by 11 metres and itreplaced an older Pro- testant church, which was burned down during the Thirty Year‘s War. St. Wenceslas Church in Broumov © Jan Záliš 500 m 3. Wooden Church of Our Lady in Broumov Even though it is much older than Baroque period, this wooden church at Broumov‘s Cemetery is defi nitely worth a visit, since it is one of the oldest wooden churches in Central Europe with unique paintings. It probably dates back to 1450. Wooden Church of Our Lady in Broumov Opening times: © Jan Záliš, archiv CzT June, September: Tue – Sun 9 AM – 12 noon, 1 PM – 5 PM July, August: Mon – Sun 9 AM – 12 noon, 1 PM – 5 PM 6 km 4. St. Barbara‘s Church in Otovice The Stěnava river valley with roadside chapels and other small archi- tecture off ers a glance into how the surrounding landscape might have looked during the Baroque period. The new cycling path with superb views of the Javoří hory hills will bring you to Otovice in just a few kilo- metres. This village boasts another Dientzenhofer church, dedicated to Otovice © Jan Záliš, archiv CzT St. Barbara. Its plan and structure are a great example of how creative the Dientzenhofers could be even with such small buildings. Of note is a false wooden vaulted ceiling, suspended from a cleverly-designed structure. 4 km 5. St. Margaret‘s Church in Šonov One of the most impressive churches in the Broumov Group awaits you on a slope by the village of Šonov. Its silhouette is a testament to the Baroque architects‘ (the Dientzenhofers again in this case) mastery at locating their designs within the landscape. As with other churches in the Group, it is also facing the Broumov Monastery and off ers a bre- Šonov Michal © Vitásek athtaking view of it. #VisitCZ @czechrepublic @VisitCZ CzechTourism 3 13,5 km 6. Church of All Saints in Heřmánkovice A road near the Polish border will take you to another architectonic marvel by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer. The church in Heřmánkovice, surrounded by a small cemetery, is a natural focal point in the landsca- pe. Its interior contains a ceiling fresco imitating a view to heaven and representing typical Baroque attitude of being as close to God as possi- Church of All Saints in Heřmánkovice © Jan Záliš, archiv CzT ble. The original Baroque Rectory next to the church is also worth a look. 4 km 7. Olivětín Brewery The Benedict Monastery has been producing beer since medieval times. The beer production was fi rst mentioned in the 14th century, but as a result of frequent fi res, the monks decided to move the brewery away from the monastery itself. The present-day brewery in Olivětín was fou- nded in 1712. The site includes a beer-brewing museum and you can also Olivětín Brewery © Jan Záliš, archiv CzT see the production facility and taste some of the special beers on off er. Useful contacts Accommodation Restaurant tips Hotel Veba: Hotel Veba: Tel: +420 725 975 975, Email: [email protected], Tel: +420 725 975 975, Email: [email protected], Address: Šalounova 127, Broumov 550 01, Address: Šalounova 127, Broumov 550 01, GPS: 50.5833764,16.3296371 GPS: 50.5833764,16.3296371 Hotel Manor House: Tel: +420 724 603 815, Email: [email protected], Address: Vančurova 126, Broumov 550 01, GPS: 50.5818418,16.3320339 #VisitCZ @czechrepublic @VisitCZ CzechTourism 4.