Kostel svatého Mikuláše ve Vacově Church

The Pseudogothic Church of St. Nicholas is the parish temple of the Vacation parish and one of the dominant villages in Prachatick. Built in 1888-1890 on the site of an older church, which in 1885 decided to tear down the village because it no longer met its needs.

The history of this place is long. Already in 1193, the hermit chapel was mentioned in writing. The wooden church was allegedly established in its place in 1230. During the Hussite wars, in 1421 it was burned and demolished. After the year 1588, when the Vacov was acquired by Koces from Dobrše, there was already a stone church of St. Lawrence. It burned down in 1757 and its repairs lasted 30 years. The patronage of the original church has been held alternately by various noble knights for centuries. In 1706, she received the construction of a new organ from the Highlands organist Václav Turnovsky; These were exchanged by an unknown organist in 1861 for 510 gold pieces.

The new church was designed by architects Jan Sedláček, J. Tille and J. Štěrbák. The foundation stone was laid on June 19, 1888. The building was supported by a prince from Schwarzenberg whose coat of arms decorate the church's circle. The church was consecrated on 10th August 1890 by Czech-Budějovice biskup Martin Josef Říha.

The church has a cross plan with a tripod in a longitudinal boat, a transverse boat and a presbytery with a triangular conclusion. The presbytery separates a significant victory arch from the ship. The tower extends to the west; the church is surrounded by a former cemetery.

The original medieval temple preserved two bells from Briktek of Cimperk from 1568 and 1588, which are still used today. Several tombstones from 1583, 1785, 1825 and 1856 were built into walls during the construction.

The interior is equipped with pseudogotic style. The main altar of St. Nicholas is decorated with an image of this saint from the middle of the nineteenth century. The altars are dedicated to St. John of Nepomuk and Virgin Mary. Believers have made the statues of St. Martin and St. Lawrence from the original temple appear on the main altar. The new church received an organ from organist Henry Schiffner of Prackov with eight registers and mechanical traction. In 1929, the organist Čeněk Skopek from Tábor completed them for 2800 crowns Czechoslovak. The altar painting of St. John Nepomuk by the painter Antonín Lhota dates back to 1899. In the twentieth century the interior was dealt with by the painter Alois Martan - he painted the presbytery as a thesis and after the Velvet Revolution added the Mosaic of Christ Pantocrator. In the years 2018- 2020, the church was replaced with windows and installed stained glass with the display of Czech earth patrons.

East of the church stands the Baroque tightrope chapel of St. John Nepomuk from the eighteenth century. The area is surrounded by fenced walls from the north, metal fences from the remaining sides. The bell Joseph was in 1889 by Petr Hilzer. Other bells were recited gradually during world wars. Traditionally, around the holiday of St. Lawrence (10 August), the so-called Vavřinec pilgrimage is held, which is considered "a small pilgrimage" and which they attach more importance to than the "great" pilgrimage to St. Nicholas.