Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tábor
Though now Catholic, it is considered the first Protestant church in the world.
The name of Tábor’s main church refers to biblical symbolism that was vital to the town’s founders. On Mount Tabor near the Sea of Galilee, Jesus' appearance was transfigured before his disciples as a sign that he was the Son of God. The founders of Tábor believed that the era of the thousand-year kingdom was near, in which Christ would return in physical form and reign with the righteous.
In summer, don’t miss the climb up the church tower. It’s 200 steps (which explains why the bell-ringer lived in the tower), but you'll be rewarded with a panoramic view of the town and its surroundings. On the way, you can see the church bells Václav and Michal.
The current 15th-century church replaced an earlier wooden structure. According to Ing. Kozák, it stands on the site of an ancient sacred place, with a power point located at the boundary of the nave and chancel. It likely predates even the apparition associated with the Klokoty chapel. The church is aligned in a perfect west–east direction with the Klokoty church – their longitudinal axes form one side of an equilateral triangle, whose third point, to the south, is the spring of St. Eleonora.
The church’s energetic center is not normally accessible, but you can still enter and sense some of its uplifting spiritual energy.
The church is open to the public. The tower is accessible in the tourist season or by prior arrangement at +420 606 322 050.
