Church of Saint Clemens, Roman Catholic church in Levý Hradec, Czech Republic
The Church of Saint Clemens is a church building on the hilltop of Levý Hradec, near Roztoky, overlooking the Vltava River valley. It stands within the grounds of a former fortified settlement and is listed as part of a protected cultural heritage site in the Czech Republic.
Prince Bořivoj I had the first Christian church in Bohemia built here between 882 and 884, shortly after his baptism in Moravia. Over the following centuries the building was rebuilt and expanded, with each new structure placed directly over the earlier one.
The hill where the church stands has been treated as a sacred place since the earliest days of Christianity in Bohemia. Visitors today can look out over the Vltava valley from the same spot where the first Bohemian Christians gathered.
The hill is reached on foot from Roztoky along a path with a steady uphill walk of about 20 to 30 minutes. Solid footwear is recommended, as the path can become slippery after rain.
During repairs in 1939–1941, archaeologist Ivan Borkovský uncovered the foundations of a rotunda with a circular nave and horseshoe apse beneath the church. Scholars now date that rotunda to the 11th century at the earliest, based on Petr Sommer's study of its foundation stone, so the original 9th-century church may have been wooden.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,344 contributors worldwide.