Stara Boleslav

Duke Vaclav - Wenceslas of the carol - was killed at the church door here in 935 by men of his brother Boleslav, and the killing made him the country's patron saint and this the oldest pilgrimage destination in Bohemia. The basilica of St Wenceslas was built over the site from the eleventh century, a large three-aisled Romanesque church with a crypt of massive columns, and the spot of the murder is marked. Nearby stands the church of the Assumption, built in the seventeenth century for the Palladium of the Land of Bohemia, a small metal relief of the Virgin which was regarded as the country's protective image and which is still kept here. The national pilgrimage on 28 September, St Wenceslas Day and now a public holiday, brings large crowds. The town is joined across the Elbe to Brandys nad Labem, which has a Renaissance chateau.

What you actually see

• The murder site of 935 - marked at the church that made Wenceslas a saint.
• A Romanesque crypt - massive columns under the basilica.
• The Palladium of Bohemia - the country's protective image, kept in the Assumption church.
• The 28 September pilgrimage - the national feast day, drawing large crowds.

When to go

April to October; 28 September for the pilgrimage. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Churches close to visitors during services, which are frequent. The crypt and treasury keep limited hours. The pilgrimage day fills the town and closes roads. The town itself is otherwise ordinary.

Nearby

Brandys nad Labem and its chateau are across the river.