Velehrad

The large Cistercian monastery of Velehrad is a famous pilgrimage site, just 10km / 6mi northwest of the city of Uherske Hradiste. Velehrad is dedicated to Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius, Apostles of the Slavs, which is perhaps why it is such a popular pilgrimage site. The monastery was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1990 drawing almost 500,000 worshippers and bringing substantial recognition to this religious site.

Velehrad stands on the site of an older monastery, some portions of which can still be seen in the crypt beneath the church. The present baroque monastery was built in the early 18th Century and designed by Giovanni Tencalla.