Church of Saint John the Baptist and Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Maková hora, Baroque church on Poppy Hill in Smolotely, Czech Republic.
The Church of Saint John the Baptist and Our Lady of Mount Carmel sits on a hilltop in Smolotely and displays Baroque features with two prominent towers on its front face. The building combines classical Baroque forms with elements influenced by Wallachian Renaissance design.
The structure was built in the early 1700s under Italian architect Canevallo, who directed construction between 1719 and 1722. The original design plans were never fully realized, which shaped how the building appears today.
The church draws pilgrims who climb the hill to pray and experience the view across the surrounding landscape. Visitors come from nearby villages to attend services and find a moment of quiet reflection at this elevated location.
The church is reached via a marked hiking trail that departs from Smolotely village and takes roughly an hour to walk. Parking is located near the cemetery, from where visitors can easily continue on foot to reach the hilltop.
The hilltop name Maková hora comes from its history of metal mining rather than poppy flowers, despite what the name might suggest. The word refers to the extraction of metals that once took place in this region.
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