kaple Panny Marie (Kopec) Chapel

The chapel of the Virgin Mary in the Hill was established at a time when the mountain village Kopec, originally called Hemmehübel, had settled in these places for almost two centuries. The village was probably founded in 1660, but for a long time it did not have its own sacral building. The local parishioners had to attend the parish church of St. Martin in nearby Brtníky. The situation changed in 1809 when the chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary was built. The initiative to create it remained anonymous - the name of the donor is unknown. The only clue they leave behind is the initials of the ICPM carved on the sandstone door. The land for construction was provided by the owner of the Lipovský estate by the Old Count Franz Vinzenz Salm-Reifferscheidt (1774- 1842), who dedicated part of the forest called Scheibe.

The original building was built in a classical style and lasted more than a century. In 1910 it was rebuilt and expanded, which was to bring the chapel back into line with the rising demands of the believers. The blessing of the modified chapel took place on May 28, 1911, probably led by the Lipov dean Heinrich Fleck (1857- 1926). At this moment, the chapel became an important part of the religious life of the local community.

The view of the building reveals its character. The chapel is partly planted in the slope, thus adapting to the terrain conditions. The side walls lack windows, the end is triangular and the nарože are supported by pairs of stone supports. The facade controls a rectangular entrance with those mentioned stone frames that bear the year 1809 and the initials of the ICPM. A small window with a broken arch is placed in the Chapel Shield. It is supplemented by two crosses on both sides.

Tragically, however, the chapel was in distress in the post-World War II period. In connection with the relocation of the region's indigenous population, it gradually lost its internal equipment. Decades of oblivion ended only at the end of the 1990s, when the chapel was saved and completely renovated. Today there is a modest altar with a painting of the Virgin Mary, which replaced the original lost inventory.

The chapel is now in the possession of the Roman Catholic parish Brtník. It is not protected as a cultural monument and there is no regular service. Yet it remains a testament to the history of the local community and a time when believers were willing to join forces to build their own temple. Its quiet standing in the mountain landscape reminds us of how Czech villages changed over centuries.