Do you know what it's like to dance 25 meters above the city?

If not, it's time to experience what most visitors to the Castle Hill will never forget...

The Church of the Holy Cross is a true rarity. It is a valuable Baroque monument that combines history, contemporary architecture and modern decoration. During the recent reconstruction, a spacious observation deck was created between the church towers, where you will experience what it is to be free as a bird and you will have the Renaissance jewel of the Litomyšl castle, the square and the modern architecture of the castle gardens in the palm of your hand. With an area of about ^60m2, the terrace offers space not only for dancing, for free movement of children, but also for romantic or social moments with friends.

In addition to the FREE admission to the observation deck, you will also get the opportunity to visit the upper floor of the church, climb the steel footbridge under its vault, take a closer look at historical graffiti or an exhibition of rare sacred art. The two-storey playroom is free to enter, where children and adults alike are guaranteed to play and learn about history and church liturgy. The games room is part of the Litomyšleni family programme , which will take you to all the places on the hill that would be a real mistake to miss. During guided and special night tours of the church, you can admire the Luminous Cross, made of laser pars, which hovers above the heads of visitors and together with the illuminated Mensa is the work of Václav Cigler and Michal Motyčka. The same authors have placed a glass Column with a reflective surface in the centre of the church , which creates a very rich and spacious rainbow in the interior under favourable conditions.

The church in the video:

• Strolling on the Castle Hill - The Bell Tower from the Finding of the Holy Cross
• Strolling on Castle Hill - The largest laser cross in the country

"I have been to Litomyšl many times and always admired the city, but the essence of this magical place literally penetrated me only when I climbed to the lookout of your church. I have been taking Litomyšl with me ever since."
Jeroným Hrdlička, Prague

History and present of the church

The Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross is connected with the Piarist Order, which was invited to Litomyšl in 1640 by Mrs. Frebonie of Pernštejn. Originally an Italian order, it significantly influenced the education and cultural level of the town, which was also reflected in the architecture. The architect chosen for the construction of the new church was Giovanni Battista Alliprandi, according to whose design the building was realized between 1714 and 1721. When Alliprandi died prematurely, his work was taken over by František Maxmilián Kaňka, who, however, did not significantly interfere with the original design. The commission for the sculptural decoration of the church was awarded to Matthias Bernard Braun and his workshop, but only the statues of the Holy Evangelists have survived from the original set. The building has a very turbulent history, it was destroyed by fire four times and was also severely damaged during the second half of the 20th century. Since the 1960s the church has been closed to the public and served as a storehouse for the town's furnishings.

The Baroque monument was seriously threatened in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when massive flooding damaged the roof trusses and threatened to collapse the vault. Literally in one minute the roof trusses were replaced and the church was preserved to this day. In the post-revolutionary history, the interior of the church remained in a state of disrepair for 20 long years, closed and used only on special occasions. It experienced its rebirth in 2011-2015 thanks to its inclusion in the European project Revitalization of the castle hill in Litomyšl. It was reconstructed and enriched with elements of modern architecture according to the design of Atelier Štěpán. The temple houses an exhibition of sacred art from the collections of the Hradec Královské Hradec Králové Diocese Angels on the Hill. Nowadays, the church serves not only as a spiritual space, but also as a gallery, it hosts ceremonial services, concerts and is a very popular place for religious and civil wedding ceremonies. Even Leoš Mareš got married here! Spend your big day with us too.