Modlany: Sacred History, Water and Protected Historic Center

Modlany between Sacred History and Protected Landscapes

Modlany combines sacred history, a protected historic center and landscape features relating to water and greenery. This means you can set different priorities for your stay: You can explore the architectural history and smaller religious buildings or focus on the natural setting of the Kateřina waterbody and the EVL Kateřina Natura 2000 site. This combination makes the town interesting for travel planning that brings cultural discoveries and appreciation of the landscape together.

Church and Protected Historic Center

A central cultural and historical landmark is the single-nave Baroque Church of St. Apollinaris. It was built in 1687–1691 on the site of an earlier medieval church. It was extensively rebuilt in the mid-19th century. Its architectural history therefore spans several clearly dated phases: the medieval predecessor was followed by the Baroque construction and, later, the 19th-century renovation. Anyone interested in historical development will find a single building here in which this chronological sequence can be followed in concrete form.

The historic center of Modlany is also protected as a cultural and urban-planning asset. The protected historic center complements the church with a second layer of the town’s history. For your planning, you can therefore treat the historic center as a separate focus alongside the individual chapels.

Chapels with Their Own Details

Several smaller religious buildings complement this focus. The Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua in Věšťany has a bell in its small tower. The Chapel of St. Procopius in Suché is a tall chapel dating from the late 19th century.

The chapel in Kvítkov also dates from the 19th century and stands below the main road through the town. The projecting structure of its façade has no bell; there is only a steel hanging fixture there. This specific difference broadens the perspective on the small religious buildings: It is not only their age or form, but also an inconspicuous structural element that can shape the observation. In this way, visiting the chapels can be combined with an attentive eye for detail.

Water, Green Areas and Hiking Tourism

The landscape connection includes the EVL Kateřina Natura 2000 site, which lies within the Modlany planning area. Modlany’s protected landscape values include watercourses and bodies of water, together with the associated green areas. You can therefore give this part of your travel planning a different emphasis from the cultural and historical sites.

The Kateřina waterbody is connected with the development of hiking tourism in Modlany’s recreational area. This creates a clear distinction when choosing your personal focus: The church, protected historic center and chapels lead into sacred and local history; Kateřina, the Natura 2000 site, and the water and green areas direct attention toward the landscape and hiking tourism.

Further places for your research: Zabrušany, Muschelberg, Novosedlice, Hrobčice, Jeníkov, Osek, Nove Mesto V Krusnych Horach, Měrunice.

For the higher-level travel overview: Teplice District.