If you ever have googled popular places in Czech Republic, you have probably seen interesting photo with the church between the cliffs. It looks like there is nothing except the church, and you will be probably surprised to know that there are living about 200 people.
According to the legend, in the 9th century, Ivan, the son of one Bohemian dukes decided, that royal life is too comfortable and boring. 🙂 He was impressed by the beauty of Bohemian Karst, has found a cave where he decided to live and in addition God has sent him a deer who gave him milk to drink. What an idyllic life, BUT! There – was a problem – the comfortable cave was already possessed by the evil spirits. The pilgrim decided that he can not compete with the spirits and left them the accommodation 🙂 But the evils for sure had no chance, because it should be a story with the happy end 😀 When Ivan was leaving the cave the Holy John the Baptist came to him and gave him wooden cross, which helped Ivan to send evil spirits back to hell 😀
Happy 42 years the pilgrim was living in his cave, drinking from the spring near the cliff till one day when one of the nearby dukes has killed his deer. Impressed by the holy life of the man duke has promised him to build a church in exchange…
After Ivan`s death people, inspired by his living, started to call him “holy”, come to his cave, drink from his spring and by the legend the water from the spring was so holy that it was healing from many diseases…
Unfortunately the happy part of the story ends here and the cruel reality starts.
The church was build in 17th century and had not very happy destiny: in 1785 it was changed to a castle, in 1925 there was a school, 1953-1958 – a prison, then school for communist State Security police (StB), and archive of communist Ministry of nternal affairs in 1985. Today the building is changed back to a church (from 1994), a part of the building is a school dormitory and an office of ecology organisation.
Interesting facts about Svatý Jan Pod Skalou:
- The holy water now is free of charge and accessible to everyone, but previously it was sold as mineral water in bottles before with the name “Ivanka”.
- The cave of Ivan is preserved inside the church, but you can see the window of from the cave here on the right side.
- The remains of the man buried in the church belongs according to the last expertises to a man, 1000 years old, who was vegan.
- Holy Ivan is the first Holy man in Czech Republic, he was called “holy” before Holy Ludmila and Holy Vaclav.
- Quarries Large and Small America, Karlstejn castle are not far from the church
Beautiful photos of the church are usually made from 2 places: one is a top with the cross, the place is usually crowded with people and you can find it following my trail. The other viewpoint can be found on the top of the opposite cliff, behind the monument of Holy Mary.
My hiking trail goes also through the former limestone mines, that are changed to open-air museum.
Photos from Svatý Jan Pod Skalou Trail
Here you can find and follow my Svatý Jan Pod Skalou Trail:
Useful weblinks – check before the trail:
- Website of the village Svaty Jan Pod Skalou: https://www.svatyjan.cz/ You can find all useful information about other touristic trails in Bohemian Karst, parking places, infocenter, opening hours of the church etc.
- How to get to Svaty Jan Pod Skalou? By car, bus, bicycle: https://www.svatyjan.cz/turistika-volny-cas/jak-se-k-nam-dostanete/
Do you like this trail? Have any questions?
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