Radonice nad Ohří

• Radonice nad Ohří is in the Ústecký Region and Louny District; its cadastral area belongs to the municipality of Peruc.
• The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross stands in the historic village centre on a slight rise above the Ohře, at the site of a medieval church.
• The present church was built between 1905 and 1907 to a design by František David, an architect and master builder from Louny.
• The church is a protected cultural monument and an example of early 20th-century Neo-Gothic religious architecture.

The church is a detached, single-nave masonry building. Its pseudogothic design incorporates Neo-Romanesque elements; at the same time, it is regarded as a valuable example of Neo-Gothic religious architecture. Together with its construction dates of 1905 to 1907, this gives it a clear connection to early 20th-century architecture. František David, who provided the design, was an architect and master builder from Louny. These features offer points of reference if you are interested in the building’s history and its different historical styles.

The grounds are enclosed by a wall of exposed rubble stone, capped with stone slabs. On the west side, a double-leaf wrought-iron gate stands between two stone pillars. A straight staircase with a low stone balustrade leads to the gate.

The church’s interior is also noteworthy: it has been preserved almost unchanged, is richly decorated with vegetal and figurative motifs, and retains its original furnishings. In 2002, the church and cemetery complex was handed over for use by the Czechoslovak Hussite Church and is used for regular services and gatherings. If you would like to visit the interior, check access in advance.

The cemetery beside the church contains numerous old Czech gravestones, including those of clergy. Another historical landmark is the Baroque statue of Saint Linhart, also known as Leonard. It stands outside the enclosed church grounds at the north-western foot of the church hill, below the stone cemetery wall. The statue is dated in the literature to the first half of the 18th century.

The rectory north of the church is also part of the village’s historic appearance. This late Baroque building is of a castle-like type and has stood there since 1781; it has not been used since 1962. Boleslav Jablonský, whose birth name was Karel Eugen Tupý, is another figure connected with the village’s history. He served as a chaplain in Radonice from 1843 to 1847 and was known in his time as a patriotic poet.

Radonice, on the right bank of the Ohře, is first documented in 1145 as a possession of the Premonstratensian Strahov Monastery. The documented history of the village therefore reaches much further back than the construction of the present church. A visit focused on cultural history can take in several distinct periods: the village’s first mention, the rectory from the late 18th century and the church from the early 20th century.

Marked cycle route No. 202 passes through Radonice. Its route runs via Peruc, Stradonice, Radonice nad Ohří and Slavětín to Louny. Before setting out on a cycling trip, check the current signage rather than relying on it without verification.

A railway stop on line 114 between Lovosice and Postoloprty is less than one kilometre south of the village centre. Check current services and stop information before travelling by train.

Discover more destinations: Blažim, Veltěže, Peruc, Chlumčany U Loun, Úherce U Panenského Týnce, Krásný Dvůr, Cítoliby, Žerotín U Panenského Týnce.

What defines the church grounds from the outside?

The rubble-stone wall capped with stone slabs, the wrought-iron west gate between stone pillars, and the straight staircase with its low balustrade are the grounds’ distinctive architectural features.

How can you plan a visit to the church?

The church and cemetery complex is used for regular services and gatherings. If you would like to visit the church interior, check access in advance.

What should you bear in mind when travelling there?

Cycle route No. 202 passes through Radonice; check the signage before your trip. The railway stop on line 114 is less than one kilometre south of the village centre. Check the current timetable before travelling by train.

For the wider travel overview: Louny District.