Želenice: Church and Wooden Bell Tower

If you choose a travel destination for its architecture, Želenice offers a specific focal point in the town center: the church complex comprising the single-nave Church of St. James the Elder, the wooden bell tower, and the wall surrounding the cemetery. All three are protected landmarks. The complex brings together the church’s Romanesque origins, later renovation phases, and a tower with its own distinctive design. This lets you explore the town’s history through several specific architectural features rather than a single date.

Church of St. James: Several Building Phases

The Church of St. James the Elder was originally Romanesque and dates from the 12th century. It was later altered in the Gothic period and in the 17th and 19th centuries. Its history, therefore, is not that of a building left unchanged from a single era: its Romanesque origins remain evident in the largely preserved nave, while the later alterations add further historical phases. A comprehensive restoration in 2013 enabled closer examination of the nave. Its masonry consists of alternating courses of sandstone and marl blocks. Ashlar blocks are dressed, block-shaped stones. The nave is the church’s main longitudinal section; “single-nave” means that the building has one nave. These terms help explain the basic layout and surviving architectural feature, as well as the dates.

Bell Tower and Dated Bells

The wooden bell tower also stands in the center of Želenice and is considered one of the town’s landmarks, along with the church. It is hexagonal, stands on a stone base, and has a mansard roof. The contrast in materials offers a second way to explore the complex: wood and stone meet in the tower, while the nave is characterized by alternating courses of sandstone and marl. A mansard roof is a roof form with sloping sides that change angle. The tower probably dates from the 16th century; at the same time, it is considered a relatively rare example of a Renaissance bell tower. Two bells hang inside it, cast in 1581 and 1613. These years refer to when the bells were cast, not the tower’s presumed construction date. Three details should therefore be distinguished when comparing dates: the church’s Romanesque origins, the tower’s probable date of construction, and the individual casting years.

An Invitation for a Set Date

The invitation to Řížkobraní 2026, scheduled for August 29, asked participants to bring schnitzel, pork belly, desserts, pickled cucumbers, or spreads to share and sample together. The date has now passed; the invitation is therefore not an announcement of an upcoming event.

Plan Your Journey

In May 2026, a municipal notice listed bus route 858 as connecting Želenice, Koleč, and Libčice nad Vltavou; draft timetables were also made available for comment. Check the current timetable before relying on the route for your specific journey.

Discover more destinations: Lidice, Libochovičky, Hospozín, Buštěhrad, Otvovice, Řisuty, Kamenný Most, Dřetovice

For the broader travel overview: Kladno District.