Pilgrimage Church of Kajov

Kájov is one of the oldest Marian pilgrimage sites in Bohemia. The pilgrimage site of the Late Gothic Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary, together with the Church of the Death of Our Lady and the hospice, is a uniquely preserved complex of buildings from various building periods. The complex was declared a national cultural monument in 1995.

The first historical mention of the church dates back to 1263, when the Czech king Přemysl Otakar II dedicated the town of Kájov to the newly-built Cistercian monastery Zlatá Koruna.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims have been coming here since the turn of the century, mainly to the statue of the miraculous Virgin Mary of Kájov, not only from much of South Bohemia and the Šumava Forest area, but also from Austria and Bavaria. The experience of an authentic South Bohemian pilgrimage can still be felt here. Regular Sunday services are held in the parish church. The main pilgrimage is held on the second Sunday in October, usually with the participation of the Pontiff Nuncio and a high number of pilgrims from all three countries.

The town of Kájov, and especially to the miraculous Virgin Mary of Kájov, are attributed with a number of legends, stories, and miracles.