kaple svatého Václava se sochami andělů Set of small monuments

Welcome to Lysé nad Labem. You're standing in front of one of the most interesting and quiet places around. In front of your eyes is the chapel of St. Wenceslas. Although today it may seem like a separate and lonely object, its existence is actually just a small piece of a much larger and fascinating narrative puzzle. Feel the atmosphere, the sense of peace that exists here. It's a place where time seems to have stopped, and yet you're touching history here every moment, which is older than your earliest memories. Just let yourself stop for a while and see the surroundings surrounding you.

Let us now return together to a time when this region looked completely different. Imagine 1696. The world around you is full of baroque excitement, magnificent structures and efforts to perfection in every detail. This niche chapel was not just created as a simple religious symbol. It was part of something much more extensive, called a hermitage at the time, or also an erosion. It was a space to rest the soul, to seek silence and to pray deeply in the arms of nature. The main mover of this whole project was Count František Antonín Špork. He was a man with great ambitions and great possessions who was not afraid to realize his vision. For him, however, this building also had a very practical and political significance. This object clearly and permanently defined the boundary of its large estate, which was drawn from Prague. The chapel thus served as a monumental and fearless symbol of its power and ownership in this area.

Now pay attention to the architecture itself, which is right in front of you. Look at her shape and how she fits into the neighborhood. It's a niche chapel, which means that its space is carved or built into a certain depth, as if it were part of a larger, invisible whole today. Note the details that are preserved here. Especially focus on the statues of the angels standing here. These characters are not just ordinary decorations that should only be visible. They're whitelighters telling us a deep and human story. This pair of statues represents the joyful and pitiful death. It's a fascinating view of how art can capture the deepest human emotions and states of being. One character radiates light and joy while the other carries the weight of sadness and mourning. This pair reminds us that human life is a constant movement between these two opposing states.

When you look at these creatures, you can't think about the people behind them. Although the exact name of the man who designed this chapel has remained unknown in history, in this period and in this particular style we must ask for the greatest masters of our time. The name Matyáš Bernard Braun became synonymous with the perfection of baroque sculpture in these times in Czech countries. Although we don't know if he worked right here, his spirit and the style of that time are here to smell every stone. And of course there is Count Spork, a visionary who could turn the landscape into a work of art full of symbols and meanings.

And now I'm going to introduce you to something that might really surprise you and help you better imagine what was once here. What you see today is just a small shadow of what was here before. This chapel was the heart of the so-called wonder garden. Imagine how it would be if you were walking around the original rich area right now. It wasn't just a chapel. It was a whole world full of surprises and beauty. At that time there were fourteen beautiful statues, there was a fountain from which the water gushed, and also a windmill that slowly and rhythmically rotated in the arms of the wind. This whole space was a place that gave people complete amazement in the eighteenth century. But with time, everything began to change. After the abolition of the hermitage in the 1930s, the complex gradually began to crumble and change its shape. Only this chapel remained as a silent and lonely witness to the ancient, rich and miraculous garden.

Even later, the surroundings changed under the influence of a modern and rapidly changing world. In 1873 there was noise and movement when the railway line of the Austrian Northwest was cleared. The world began to move much faster and this quiet oasis became part of a more modern landscape. And to the complete end of the old roads, the road led until 1996, when the castle at the chapel was abolished and the operation of the water source from Karani ended. Each of these moments added another layer of history to the place and changed the way we look at it.

Now you can slowly move on and continue your journey. Let these images, these statues, and these stories run out. Take a look around again, feel the silence and try to think of those ancient gardens, fountains and windmills that were once here. Thank you for visiting this place and giving us your time. We wish you a nice walk and many other interesting experiences on your journey.