The Church of St Vitus (kostel sv. Víta) is the parish church of Český Krumlov, standing high above the Vltava on the edge of the old town. Its slim neo-Gothic tower and the round castle tower across the river are the two landmarks of the town's skyline. Inside, the late Gothic church holds the grave of Vilém of Rožmberk, the most powerful lord of his family, and a small tomb containing two Schwarzenberg hearts.
The Church of St Vitus at a glance
- Where: Horní street, in the inner town (Vnitřní Město), a couple of minutes' walk from Svornosti Square, with the river bend right below.
- Built: first church founded in 1309; the present church was built in 1407–1439 and consecrated in 1439.
- By: building work was started by Master Jan Staněk, from a family of Prague stonemasons.
- What it is today: an active Catholic parish church, a Czech National Cultural Monument since 1995 and part of the UNESCO-listed historic centre.
- Time needed: 20–30 minutes, plus a few minutes on the terrace behind the church.
A church of the Rožmberks, then the Schwarzenbergs
Peter I of Rožmberk founded the first church here in 1309. As the town grew, it became too small, and under Henry III of Rožmberk a new, larger church was begun in 1407. The building contract asked for eight columns carrying a net vault, an idea inspired by Peter Parler's work at St Vitus Cathedral in Prague. The Bishop of Passau consecrated the church in 1439. Before 1500 it received an organ loft, a new altar bearing the Rožmberk rider coat of arms and a family mausoleum.
When Vilém of Rožmberk died in 1592, a grand tomb was built for him in the presbytery. The Jesuits objected to it, and it was dismantled step by step: the Rožmberk rider was removed in 1621, and the last above-ground parts went in 1783 during Joseph II's reforms. Vilém's coffin and that of his wife Anna of Baden went back into the vault below. Under the Schwarzenbergs, who inherited Krumlov in 1719, the Chapel of St John of Nepomuk was added in the 1720s. The Baroque onion-dome tower was replaced by today's neo-Gothic tower in 1893–1894.
What to look for
- The net vault of the nave, carried on eight slender pillars. Each pillar has a saint's statue on a bracket; the two nearest the altar show the Virgin Mary and St Vitus.
- The Gothic north portal from around 1410, with carved wooden doors from the late 17th century.
- Medieval wall paintings: a fresco of St Catherine on the north wall and scenes from the legend of St Vitus on the south wall.
- The Chapel of St John of Nepomuk, with the Rožmberk tombstones that were moved here and the Schwarzenberg heart tomb, marked by a black marble plate with a Latin inscription from 1745.
- A richly carved stone sacrament house from around 1500 on the north wall, left of the main altar.
The hearts in the chapel
The Nepomuk chapel exists because of a family story. Prince Adam Franz of Schwarzenberg and his wife Eleonora Amalia reconciled at the tomb of St John of Nepomuk in Prague in 1721, and their son Joseph Adam was born the following year. The grateful couple made the saint their patron. Adam Franz was killed in a hunting accident in 1732, shot by Emperor Charles VI. Eleonora Amalia wished to rest in this chapel, and today the hearts of both are kept in a small niche in its wall. In recent years she has been called the 'vampire princess' in a TV documentary and popular books, built on rumours about her illness and death. Treat it as legend, not history.
Tips for your visit
- Go round to the terrace behind the church for a view of the Vltava, the weir and the southern part of the old town.
- It is a working parish church: visit outside services, keep your voice down and dress respectfully.
- For the classic photo of the tower above the red roofs, look back at the town from the castle side of the river.
Nearby
- Svornosti Square: the main square, with its Baroque plague column and fountain, a couple of minutes downhill.
- Český Krumlov Castle and its tower: the painted round tower is the town's other landmark, and you can climb it for the view over the old town.
- The monastery complex: the restored former Minorite and Poor Clare monasteries near the Lazebnický bridge, now open to visitors.
- Egon Schiele Art Centrum: a gallery in a former brewery on Široká street, devoted to the painter who lived in his mother's home town in 1911.
See Český Krumlov with World City Trail
Our Český Krumlov scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 25 minutes of walking. The Church of St Vitus is one of the stops, along with the castle tower and the monastery complex.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Český Krumlov.
Play the Český Krumlov scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Český Krumlov →
Play the outdoor escape game in Český Krumlov →
Facts checked in October 2026.