A historic gem at the tri-border area | Česká Kamenice

There are towns that are unique simply because of their location. Such is the case with Česká Kamenice, a town situated at the tri-border area of three protected landscape areas – the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, the Lusatian Mountains and the Bohemian Central Mountains. It is therefore clear that the surrounding countryside is beautiful and incredibly diverse. However, to think that Česká Kamenice is attractive solely because of its surroundings would be a disservice to this remarkable and beautiful historic town.

In 2005, Česká Kamenice was even named ‘Historic Town of the Year’ for the whole of the Czech Republic – and yet very few people are truly familiar with its charms. The town certainly has a wealth of stories to tell, and those who know how to listen will hear tales from the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods, as well as from later times.

It is a town whose very existence still bears witness to the fate of the Sudetenland – to the expulsion of people, first the Czechs, then the Germans, and to the unique struggle to find the capacity to forgive. This is evidenced not only by the architecture and period photographs, but also by contemporary life. It is here that the inquisitive visitor has the chance to understand much of what seems almost incomprehensible to people today.

The town’s conservation area boasts an astonishing thirty-six buildings, each of which deserves our attention. The main attraction is the magnificent High Baroque pilgrimage chapel of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. It is a mystical place that, in some inexplicable way, compels you to fall silent and approach the wrought-iron gate along the avenue with humility. Surrounded by the Baroque curves of the architecture, you will feel as though you are on an island in another time.

Here, the wind tells the story of the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Kamenice, who healed the sick and drew crowds of pilgrims to her. To honour her, Ottavio Broggio himself built a chapel; stepping inside feels like entering another dimension. In days gone by, the pilgrimages drew such huge crowds that it was even necessary to draw up timetables specifying when each group of pilgrims was allowed to arrive. Today, you can hear a leaf fall. You’ll find yourself tiptoeing out of here.

Of course, it all begins with the Marian Chapel. The magnificent Gothic-Renaissance Church of St James the Greater, where a young Antonín Dvořák once secretly learnt to play the organ, is a sight to behold. The view from its tower is breathtaking, and anyone eager to discover further historical gems will find their bearings here with ease. Directly below, on the square, you’ll spot a nine-sided Renaissance fountain, several town houses and the town hall, on which the inscription ‘Paladium civitatis’ is legible even from here – ‘Patron of the Town’ – the Salhausen Manor House, built in the Saxon Renaissance style, the manorial brewery (where beer is once again being brewed – and not just any beer – the local brew is as sharp as horseradish!), the neo-Gothic building of the town poorhouse, the magnificent Baroque manorial hospital, which today houses a cosy restaurant, Kamenice Castle, towering above the town with its observation tower; the beautiful cemetery chapel dedicated to the town’s benefactors, the Preidl family, situated in the park next to the Marian chapel; or, right next to the church, Kamenice Manor, which is eagerly awaiting a major restoration.

As well as its historical side, Česká Kamenice also has its own distinctive contemporary atmosphere. It is peaceful, yet visitors feel right at home here – alongside the aforementioned brewery, there are cafés, restaurants, an excellent bakery, a well-equipped visitor centre, and a sufficiently varied range of accommodation options… ‘A spa for the soul’, as many who have experienced its atmosphere say of the town. Trips into the surrounding countryside have one major advantage – it really doesn’t matter which direction you set off in.

The town is literally surrounded by magnificent views – for example, from Jehla Rock, the nearby Ponorka, the viewing tower at Kamenice Castle on Zámecký Hill, or even from the summit of the ruins of Fredevald Castle.

A truly unique panoramic view can be enjoyed from the summit of Střední vrch’s basalt formation. Here you’ll find stunning natural phenomena – such as the impressive stone fan of the Fredevald rock face, the majestic Studenec crowned by the second-oldest iron observation tower in the Czech Republic, and a remarkable nature trail through its surroundings, undoubtedly the most magnificent basalt ‘organ pipes’ in the country – the monumental wall of Zlatý vrch…

The monuments to people’s lives are no less impressive. Literally in the midst of the forests above the town, you’ll discover a place full of defiance and faith: the Brethren’s Altar with its Stations of the Cross, a sanctuary to which believers whose faith was under persecution always took refuge. In winter you’ll find icefalls here; all year round you’ll come across herds of chamois, and the surrounding forests are a mushroom-pickers’ paradise… But perhaps most importantly, the people who live here have not given up; they strive to honour the work and lives of their ancestors, whilst at the same time seeking their own path, creating new traditions and refusing to be passive. The Českokamenice region is, quite simply, a place of healthy community spirit.