Sněžka – the St. Lawrence Chapel
Sněžka, with its 1602m heights above sea level, is the highest mountain in the Czech Republic. It is situated in the Krkonoše Mountains. The Czech-Polish border leads via its peak.. Sněžka is a perfect viewpoint. When the sky is clear, one can see far to Czechia as well as to Poland, rarely even the Petřín observation tower in Prague can be seen. The first man, who climbed to Sněžka, is considered a Venetian merchant, who came to Krkonoše in order to search for precious stones. In 1563-1566 the Silesian humanist Christoph Schilling tried to measure its height and measured unreal 5880m. The original name of the mountain was German – Schneekoppe (the Snow Hill). In Czech the name Sněžka has been used since 1823. In the past it used to be a pilgrimage place. The oldest building here is the rotunda Chapel of St. Lawrence, 14m high. There used to be divine service five times a year. Lightning struck the chapel in 1771 and after that it slowly dilapidated. It was functioning as a pub and a shelter. In 1854 the chapel was restored and consecrated again.
