Discover Slapanov: Church, Pilgrimage Route and Blaník Landscape

Slapanov between local history and landscape

If you would like to get to know Slapanov through its history and landscape, Šlapánov offers several clearly distinguishable points of interest. The Church of St. Peter and Paul stands on the northern edge of Šlapánov and is a branch church. The settlement core has been documented since 1318; Šlapánov is also located approximately one kilometre from Zvěstov. This gives you a clear sense of both the local development and the location in the surroundings of Zvěstov.

Church of St. Peter and Paul

The Church of St. Peter and Paul was built before 1258. It was remodelled in the Baroque style in 1733, a prismatic tower was added in 1873, and the church was restored in 1889. Its architectural form can be read through its clear shapes: it has a rectangular nave and a square chancel with a semicircular apse. The chancel preserves an original ribbed vault with unarticulated brick ribs. Thus, a single building presents several layers from different periods, from its early origins through the Baroque alteration to the interventions of the 19th century.

The church is also one of the excursion destinations in the surroundings of Zvěstov. For visitors interested in regional architectural history, it is therefore a specific point of reference, while the northern edge of the village also defines the building’s location within Šlapánov.

Historical traces with varying visibility

The fortress of Šlapánov is also part of the area’s older history. In 1548, it was considered deserted or abandoned. No above-ground remains have yet been identified. The fortress should therefore be understood as a historical trace, not as a preserved structure. This distinction is important for your planning if you wish to distinguish visible architecture from a history that is not represented by an above-ground structure today.

The Chapel of Saint Wenceslas probably dates from the 18th century. It formerly contained images of Saint Joseph and Saint Anne. Its dating is therefore just as much part of its history as its former furnishings; no conclusion about its present contents can be drawn from this.

Pilgrimage route, ponds and views

The Říp–Blaník pilgrimage route offers another perspective. Its fourth stage is 76 kilometres long and runs between Odlochovice, Šlapánov and Roudný. Within Šlapánov, the route passes the Church of St. Peter and Paul and leaves the village between ponds. The stage thus connects the historical point of reference in the village with a further route through the landscape.

In addition, a blue-marked hiking trail leads from Šlapánov beyond the valley and opens up wide views of the landscape west of the Blaník ridges. On the way from Šlapánov, you reach the boundary of the Blaník Protected Landscape Area, which was designated in 1981. If you would like to combine culture and activity, you can therefore choose different focuses between the church building, the pilgrimage route and the landscape-oriented trails.

When looking for accommodation in Slapanov, you can first decide whether the church’s architectural history, the pilgrimage route through the village or the trails towards Blaník should be the focus of your stay. For your further selection, it is worth considering which of these specific destinations you would like to include in your plans.

Further places for your research

You can also visit the pages for Dolní Kralovice, Soběhrdy, Chlum, Petroupim, Křečovice, Mrač, Vodslivy and Litichovice for further information.

To the higher-level travel overview: Okres Benešov.