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Heritage of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Slovakia and the Czech Republic

11 holy places • 10 days
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• Czech Republic   • Slovakia   • Bratislava   • Prague   • Europe   • Cyril and Methodius
The route “Heritage of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Slovakia and the Czech Republic” was developed by the Representative Office of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (the Church of St. Nicholas of Myra in Kotelniki).

Contents

Slovakia, Bratislava
Slovakia, Bratislava

St. Martin's Temple
Slovakia, Bratislava, Stare Mesto district, Rudnayovo námestie 1

The Old Town of Bratislava
Slovakia, Bratislava, Stare Mesto district

Devin
Slovakia, the Bratislava IV district

Nitra
Slovakia, 60 km away from Bratislava

Pannonhalma
Pannonhalma, Hungary

Mikulčice
Czech Republic

Velehrad
the Uherské Hradiště District, the Czech Republic

Uherske Hradiste
Czech Republic

Sázava
Zámecká 72, Sázava, the Czech Republic

The Ss. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral in Prague
Resslova 9a, Nové Město, the Czech Republic

Vyšehrad
V Pevnosti 159/5b, Prague, the Czech Republic

St. Vitus Cathedral
III. nádvoří 48/2, Prague, the Czech Republic

St. George Basilica with the grave of St. Liudmila
Prague Castle - St George's Basilica (Bazilika sv. Jiří) náměstí U Svatého Jiří

Lodinitse
Plzeňská 51, Loděnice, the Czech Republic

Tetin
Na Parkáně, Tetín, the Czech Republic

Cave of St. John of Bohemia, the hermit
Svatý Jan pod Skalou, the Czech Republic

Church of Saints Peter and Paul
Kralé Jiřiho 1040/2c, Karlovy Vary, the Czech Republic

Church of St. Olga
Kollárova 8, 351 01 Franchishkovy lázně, the Czech Republic

Church of St. Vladimir
Ruská 347/9, 353 01 Mariánské Lázně, the Czech Republic

Holy places

Picture credit: Wikipedia

Slovakia, Bratislava

Great Moravia was an early feudal state that existed from 822 to 907. It included the territories of modern Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Lesser Poland, part of Ukraine and the historical region of Silesia. The capital of the state was the city of Velegrad and Nitra.

Knyaz Rostislav (846-870), in order to strengthen the state of the Slavs, sent ambassadors to Rome with a request to send teachers to tutor their own priests. The Pope refused to receive the ambassadors.

In 862 Rostislav sent ambassadors to Byzantium to Emperor Michael III, asking for teachers, priests and a bishop who would lay the foundation for their own church administration. Emperor Michael III sent Saints Cyril and Methodius to the Moravians. The Saints created the Slavic alphabet and grammar.

Thus, Slavic writing was first used. In 866 Pope Nicholas I approved the mission of Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Saint Methodius, who became the Archbishop of Moravia (from 866), was able to achieve the right to serve the liturgy in the Church Slavonic language. And three of his students, Gorazd, Clement and Naum, were elevated to priesthood by the Pope.

Address Slovakia, Bratislava

Schedule 24/7

Picture credit: Wikipedia

St. Martin's Temple

4th century Cathedral and the national monument of Slovakia. From the 16th to the 19th century coronations of the emperors of Austria-Hungary took place here.

The relics of St. John the Merciful (6th century) are kept in the cathedral.

Address Slovakia, Bratislava, Stare Mesto district, Rudnayovo námestie 1
dom.fara.sk

Schedule Monday – Friday: 9.00am–11.30am & 1.00pm–6.00pm Saturday: 9.00am–11.00am Sunday: 1.45pm–4.30pm

Picture credit: Wikipedia

The Old Town of Bratislava

Here you can see the archaeological excavations of ancient temples: the churches of St. Lawrence (9th century) and the chapel of St. James (8th century).

Address Slovakia, Bratislava, Stare Mesto district
staremesto.sk

Schedule 24/7

Picture credit: Wikipedia

Devin

Devin, located 15-20 minutes from Bratislava, is a 9th century fortress, the main city of ancient Moravia. The residence of St. Knyaz Rostislav was located there.

Address Slovakia, the Bratislava IV district
devin.sk

Schedule 24/7

Picture credit: Wikipedia

Nitra

Located 60 km from Bratislava. The capital of the Principality of Nitra in Great Moravia. Christian spiritual center of Slovakia; place of pilgrimage.

Here you can see the church of St. Martyr Emmerem (died in 690), venerate the relics of St. Cyril.

Address Slovakia, 60 km away from Bratislava
nitra.sk

Schedule 24/7

Picture credit: Wikipedia

Pannonhalma

Catholic Abbey in Hungary (3 hours from Bratislava), refers to the Benedictine Order. The monastery was founded in 996, built on top of the St. Martin hill. The abbey is the second largest after Montecassino.

According to legend, St. Martin of Tours was born here.

Address Pannonhalma, Hungary
bences.hu

Schedule Please refer to the website for the opening hours

Picture credit: jizni-morava.cz

Mikulčice

Located on the Bratislava – Brno road. In 869 Saint Methodius became the Archbishop of Pannonia and Great Moravia. The first Slavic archdiocese arose in Great Moravia.

The archaeological excavations of the ancient metropolis - the temple, the archbishop's palace and other objects, are located in Mikulčice.

Address Czech Republic
mikulcice.cz

Schedule 24/7

Picture credit: Wikipedia

Velehrad

The ancient capital of Great Moravia. Here stands the Catholic monastery with the Basilica of Saints Cyril and Methodius, which is a place of pilgrimage.

Address the Uherské Hradiště District, the Czech Republic
velehrad.cz

Schedule 24/7

Picture credit: Wikipedia

Uherske Hradiste

Archaeological excavations of the ancient settlements of Great Moravia (40 km from Mikulcice) are conducted here. A huge number of sites of ancient settlements, fortresses, and burial grounds of the Great Moravian Empire were revealed in the Morava River basin. 18 stone churches of that era are known to us.

Address Czech Republic
mesto-uh.cz

Schedule 24/7

Picture credit: Wikipedia

Sázava

Sazava monastery, which is near the city of Benesov, is one of the first monasteries of the Czech Republic, it was the center of Slavic education. It was founded by the Czech Knyaz Oldrich and Saint Procopius, the hermit (970-1053), who tried to maintain the traditions of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Until 1096 the Liturgy was served in Church Slavonic, the charter of St. Basil the Great was used, the saints Boris and Gleb were revered.

Since 1096 it is a Benedictine monastery. In 1785, after the reforms of Emperor Joseph II, the monastery was secularized and rebuilt into a castle. Now the exhibition "Medieval Sazava" is located here.

Address Zámecká 72, Sázava, the Czech Republic
klaster-sazava.cz

Schedule Please refer to the website for the opening hours

Picture credit: Wikipedia

The Ss. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral in Prague

The Cathedral of the Orthodox Church of the Czech lands and Slovakia with the relics of the holy martyr Gorazd.

Address Resslova 9a, Nové Město, the Czech Republic
www.katedrala.info/

Schedule Please refer to the website for the opening hours

Picture credit: Wikipedia

Vyšehrad

Ancient fortress of the 10th century. The excavations of the ancient basilica and the rotunda of St. Martin are conducted here.

Also here is the neo-gothic cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul (late 19th century).

Address V Pevnosti 159/5b, Prague, the Czech Republic
praha-vysehrad.cz

Schedule All expositions are open daily: November – March 9.30am-5.00pm April – October 9.30am-6.00pm

Picture credit: Wikipedia

St. Vitus Cathedral

The first temple-rotunda was built by St. Wenceslas in 925, it is dedicated to St. Vitus (died in 303), whose right hand was presented to St. Wenceslas by the German king Henry I. Construction of the Cathedral of St. Vitus began in 1344. The cathedral was supposed to be the site of coronation and the treasury.

The main shrines are the heads of St. Vyacheslav and St. Ludmila.

Address III. nádvoří 48/2, Prague, the Czech Republic
katedralasvatehovita.cz

Schedule Prague Castle complex 6.00am–10.00pm Historical buildings 9.00am–4.00pm

Picture credit: hram-troicy.prihod.ru

St. George Basilica with the grave of St. Liudmila

Charles IV of Luxembourg (1316-1378) - King of Germany and the Czech Republic, whose name is associated with the Golden Age of the Czech Republic. Since 1355 he was the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. He knew the Czech language well, cared about the development of national culture and supported the Slavic traditions of Saints Cyril and Methodius.
Charles decorated the temple of St. Vitus with chapels-treasuries. He initiated the veneration of saints Ludmila and Vyacheslav, installed sculptural tombstones over the graves of saints Ludmila and Vyacheslav in the church of St. George.

Address Prague Castle - St George's Basilica (Bazilika sv. Jiří) náměstí U Svatého Jiří
hrad.cz/en/prague-castle-for-visitors

Schedule November – March: 09.00 – 16.00; April – October: 09.00 – 17.00

Picture credit:  putnik.cz

Lodinitse

Newly-built convent of saints Vyacheslav and Liudmila.

Address Plzeňská 51, Loděnice, the Czech Republic
pravoslavnacirkev.cz

Schedule -

Picture credit: Wikipedia

Tetin

The castle was the place of murder of St. Liudmila. It is ruined and there are only remains of it on site.

Address Na Parkáně, Tetín, the Czech Republic
tetin.cz

Schedule 24/7

Picture credit: Wikipedia

Cave of St. John of Bohemia, the hermit

St. John of Bohemia lived here for 42 years. In the 10th century Knyaz Borzhivoy, the husband of Saint Liudmila, founded the monastery of Saint John at this place under the rock.

The main shrine is the right hand of St. John of Bohemia.

Address Svatý Jan pod Skalou, the Czech Republic
www.svatyjan.cz/

Schedule -

Picture credits: podvorie.cz

Church of Saints Peter and Paul

Built in 1900 - 1902 by architect Gustav Wiederman.

Shrines: gifts of Tsar Nicholas II, the relics of the saints.

Address Kralé Jiřiho 1040/2c, Karlovy Vary, the Czech Republic
podvorie.cz

Schedule Daily 9.00am - 6.00pm

Picture credit: Wikipedia

Church of St. Olga

Located in the Franchishkovy lazne resort. Founded in 1887-1889 by Gustav Wiederman.

Address Kollárova 8, 351 01 Franchishkovy lázně, the Czech Republic
pravoslavi-frlazne.cz

Schedule -

Picture credit: Wikipedia

Church of St. Vladimir

Located in the town of Marianske Lazne. Built in 1900-1905 by G. Wiederman and N. Sultanov.

The main point of interest is the ceramic iconostasis.

Address Ruská 347/9, 353 01 Mariánské Lázně, the Czech Republic
kostelml.cz

Schedule May - October 9.30am-12.00pm, 1.00pm-5.00pm; November - April 9.30am-11.30am, 2.00pm-4.00pm

See also

Novosibirsk and Novosibirsk oblast

Tale of the land of Siberia

7 holy places • 2 days
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