Maria Kulm is a destination for travellers who want to combine architecture and religious history on a short trip. The pilgrimage complex in Chlum Svaté Maří is a national cultural monument. Its importance for Bohemian Baroque architecture is outstanding; the ambits and the church’s unusual floor plan are also remarkable in a Central European context. During your visit, you can take in both the architecture and the different tours.
Baroque Building History and Legend
The first pilgrimage church in Chlum Svaté Maří was remodelled in the Baroque style between 1687 and 1728, based on plans by the architect Kryštof Dienzenhofer. According to legend, the origins of the pilgrimage site date back to the 13th century. At that time, a butcher’s apprentice from Sokolov is said to have found a Gothic seated statue of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus in a hazel bush on Chlumský kopec. Thus, a traditional foundation story and a specific phase of Baroque construction stand side by side.
The architecture also offers more than one perspective: in addition to the church, the ambits are among the features cited when placing the complex in a Central European context. The church’s unusual floor plan is another distinctive aspect. Anyone interested in architectural history can consider these features together on a tour, rather than focusing solely on the church.
Pilgrimage and Museum Tours
The pilgrimage tour includes the church, the Chapel of Grace, the ambits and the tower. The museum tour has a different focus: it includes a historical exhibition with a gallery, art objects and sacred artefacts. It also includes an underground area with a multimedia installation documenting the changes to the pilgrimage site. This allows you to tailor your visit to your interest in the spaces and architectural forms, or in the exhibition and interpretation of the site’s history.
As part of the pilgrimage tour, you can also visit a garden or take a short walk to a chapel with a spring. These are two different ways to round out the tour: a visit to the garden or a short walk to the chapel. Another named chapel is Panny Marie Pomocné, a restored brick-built chapel on Drsný vrch at the edge of the forest.
Opening Hours and Getting There
As of 1 June 2026, the pilgrimage tour is open daily from 09:00 to 16:00, free of charge and without a guided tour. Check the opening hours before your trip. This will help you plan the time available for the tour and museum visit without assuming that a guided tour is offered.
Direct bus routes 208 and 210 connect Sokolov with Chlum Svaté Maří. Check the timetable before travelling. Free parking is available in front of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on náměstí J. W. Goetheho; also check local parking conditions. This makes it possible to plan your journey by bus or car using the connection that suits you best.
Discover more destinations: Lanz, Bleistadt, Zwodau, Unterreichenau, Silberbach, Douglasgrün, Wintersgrün, Elbogen.
Go to the regional travel overview: Falkenau an der Eger District.
