St. Wenceslas Cathedral

Olomouc, Czech Republic

Saint Wenceslas Cathedral is a neo-gothic cathedral in Olomouc. The square was named after Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia on the thousandth anniversary of his death in 1935. The cathedral is also named after him.

The cathedral began in the Romanesque style and was consecrated in 1131. Extensive Gothic modifications were made in 13th and 14th century. Czech king Wenceslaus III of Bohemia was murdered in a nearby house of the former dean of the cathedral on August 4, 1306. Wenceslaus III was the last of the male Přemyslid rulers of Bohemia.

Gothic revival changes, which included refacing the building, rebuilding the west front and the construction of the central tower, were made during 1883–1892. These were designed by Gustav Meretta and R. Völkel. The cathedral's main tower is 100,65 metres high, making it the 4th tallest building in the Czech Republic.

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Founded: 1131/1883
Category: Religious sites in Czech Republic

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4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Ruwan Maveekumbura (14 months ago)
It's very old cathedral. Very beautiful. Same cathedral in Prague too. But I don't know, there are cathedral like this. This is nearly 900 hundred years old ?. Two time reconstructed. It had been burnt onetime. And I couldn't find that it reconstructed after totally collapsed. Tell me if someone know. According to the details I got, made a video and upload my youtube channel to watch my people in Srilanka
jeremy kalous (16 months ago)
The outside is beautiful. The inside very simple. I’m guessing there was once frescos. I can’t say more as I might be censored by Google. They have a crypt with coffins of past bishops. I won’t post because coffins might be offensive to Google. I would not cross the country to see this cathedral but both Madame Teresa and the Pop did.
Siegfried B (2 years ago)
The Olomouc St. Wenceslas Cathedral is well worth a visit. The beautiful and large building is situated near its museum and a lovely square, with a pretty garden next to it. The gothic structure has a beautiful interior, with an impressive collection of relics. You can also descent into the catacombs and pay respect to some earlier cardinals, bishops and archbishops.
Robert Sierpniak (2 years ago)
Amazing Cathedral worth visiting. The gothic structure has a suprising, dark inside. In the center at the end there is a glowing beautiful altar with a cross. At that time the quoir was having their rehearsal.
Ali Ali (3 years ago)
We visited during the week, when there were no one else there and a lovely gentleman offered to show us around and tell us more about the history of the cathedral. It was amazing! We were in absolute awe - just the amount of detail in the frescoes are unbelievable. Down in the crypt are several metal "coffins" with such intricate metal decoration. Just gorgeous. Pay attention to the cheeky self portrait 'bust' of the architect, right in the middle of the churches entrance way (outside), above the door in a gargoyle-style.
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