Praskolesy among churches, chapels and countryside

Praskolesy combines a long history with religious buildings and a setting shaped by water, floodplains and wooded slopes. The town was first mentioned in 1216. The buildings differ in their locations and dates of origin; the marked hiking trails also have different connections to the town. This allows you to consider historic sites and the landscape as distinct highlights of your stay.

Churches, chapels and local history

The parish church of Saint Nicholas stands on a slight rise in the town centre, south of the village square. Its foundation stone was laid in 1620; the church was completed in 1710. These two dates are 90 years apart. On the north side of the church slope, a covered staircase leads up to the cemetery wall. At the foot of the stairs, a cast-iron memorial cross stands on a stone pedestal.

The Chapel of Saint Procopius lies south of the church. It has a rectangular plan with a three-sided apse; its features include Gothic windows and a Gothic portal. Inside are a statue of Saint Procopius dating from the late 14th century and wall paintings attributed to J. Scheiwl. Deans of the Karlštejn Chapter were also buried in the chapel. The small Chapel of Saint John of Nepomuk stands on an island in the middle of the village square. This Late Baroque building dates from 1832; the year 1758 is inscribed on the base of its statue.

The archaeological classification also covers the built-up area of the town: it is designated an archaeological area of category UAN I. This includes a village, a settlement and a burial site dating from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

Baroque buildings and their locations

The deanery of Praskolesy dates from the late 17th century. Formerly the residence of a dean of the Karlštejn Chapter, it lies in the northwestern part of the municipality, by a bridge over the Červený potok. The rectory is a two-storey Baroque building from the first quarter of the 18th century. It lies northeast of Saint Nicholas Church; an extensive garden stretches to its south and southeast. Their dates of origin and locations give each of the two buildings its own connection to the town’s history.

Water, floodplains and the biocentre

Praskolesy’s landscape assets include the significant watercourse Červený potok, with its banks and associated greenery; a valley floodplain with stands of floodplain forest; ponds and wetlands; and adjacent wooded slopes. Together, these features describe a landscape where the watercourse, valley and wooded ridges lie side by side.

Koupaliště u skály is an active, combined local biocentre covering 5.4 hectares. It includes a former swimming pool, ponds, an ash-alder floodplain forest, and woodland with rocky outcrops above the right bank of the watercourse. The former pool is part of the landscape described as the biocentre.

Hiking trails and local facilities

The blue-marked hiking trail runs through Praskolesy along the Žebrák–Chlustina–Praskolesy–Otmíče–Lochovice route. Check the current trail markings on site. By contrast, near the Pohodnice farmstead, the green-marked trail only touches the southern tip of the Praskolesy cadastral area. This distinction is useful when planning your walks: the blue route passes through the town, while the green route only briefly crosses its southern edge.

The multipurpose sports field is in operation; it is intended for recreational use by residents and local sports clubs.

Discover more destinations: Karlstejn, Vysoký Újezd, Hlasna Treban, Chaloupky, Bubovice, Újezd, Skřipel, Málkov.

For the overview of the wider area: Okres Beroun.