Church of St Peter and St Paul in Žlutice

The Church of St Peter and St Paul in Žlutice is one of the oldest and most important sacred buildings in the Karlovy Vary Region. It stands below the town square on gently sloping ground, so the interior is arranged across several levels connected by steps. The place reaches deep into the Middle Ages: beneath the present floor, remains of an earlier Romanesque church from around 1150 were discovered.

The current Gothic basilica began to take shape in the mid-14th century, in the time of John of Luxembourg. Its long construction history makes the church especially rewarding for patient visitors, because almost every part of the building speaks from a different century.

Gothic structure

The presbytery was completed in the second half of the 14th century, along with the northeastern tower. The main nave was vaulted in 1447, the north aisle followed in 1481-1494, and the south aisle was finished only in 1536. The result is a Gothic three-aisled basilica built of quarry stone, with a 14-metre-high main nave and ribbed cross vaults.

On the north side stand two towers: the older medieval northeastern tower and the northwestern tower rebuilt in Baroque style after a fire in 1779. The Baroque tower has statues of St Norbert and St Augustine on its corner pillars and a roof with a lantern and onion-shaped cupola.

Interior highlights

The interior preserves one of the region's finest early Baroque ensembles. The main altar from 1667 carries the scene of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary and statues of St Peter and St Paul. Other altars, the pulpit from 1672 and the choir benches from 1686 give the church a dense, layered atmosphere.

Look also for the Gothic wall paintings from 1435, Renaissance tomb slabs in the presbytery and a stone baptismal font from 1603. Beneath the church is the crypt of the Kokořovec family, including the copper coffin of Jiří Petr of Kokořov.

The Baroque organ from 1774-1775 is especially valuable. Built by František Prokop Noll from Úterý, it is considered the largest and best-preserved instrument by this organ builder and has been protected as a separate cultural monument since 1994.

Visiting

The church is protected as a Czech cultural monument and lies within the Žlutice urban heritage zone. Access is occasional, so arrange a visit through the parish office if you want to see the interior. Because of the sloping site, steps and historic surfaces are part of the visit.

Directions and contacts

• Address: 28. října, 364 52 Žlutice
• GPS: 50.0900, 13.1640
• Access: occasional, best arranged with the parish office
• Parish office: Dukelských hrdinů 97, 364 52 Žlutice
• Phone: +420 353 393 117
• Town website: zlutice.cz