Hvězda

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows on the rock ridge

Hvězda ("The Star", 674 m) is the best-known and most visited spot on the Broumov Walls. On the edge of the rock ridge stands the baroque Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows, built in 1731–1733 for Broumov abbot Otmar Zinke to a design by Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer. The chapel has an unusual five-pointed star ground plan, yet it is circular inside. Its stone gallery offers a view over the whole Broumov basin, the Javoří and Owl Mountains and far into Poland.

The place is named after a gilded star on a wooden cross put up here as early as 1670 by abbot Tomáš Sartorius – it served pilgrims as a landmark when crossing the ridge. The chapel was closed during the Josephine reforms and fell into decay until it was restored in 1855. Since 2022 it has been a national cultural monument together with the Broumov Group of Churches.

Hvězda cottage

Right next to the chapel, on the edge of a sandstone cliff, stands a wooden Swiss-style mountain cottage. It was built in the mid-19th century by abbot Jan Nepomuk Rotter – legend has it that he promised to do so as a student when he visited Hvězda with his friends. The cottage served as an inn and the home of the monastery gamekeeper, and it remains one of the symbols of the Broumov region.

Current status 2026: the cottage is closed for a complete renovation, with reopening planned for 2027. A kiosk with refreshments is expected to operate at the neighbouring building during the season – please check before you go. The chapel, the viewpoint and the hiking trails remain accessible during the renovation.

How to get to Hvězda

The nicest route from Broumov leads via Křinice: from the car park in Křinice, follow the red trail (Jirásek's Path) about 1 km uphill through the forest to the chapel. You can also drive to the Hvězda car park, about 200 metres below the cottage – the access road leads from Police nad Metují via Hlavňov. In summer, a regular bus also runs here at weekends.

Hvězda is also a junction of marked trails. Along the ridge you can continue to Kovář's Gorge and the Supí hnízdo (Vulture's Nest) viewpoint or to the rock mushrooms near Slavný – making Hvězda the starting point of a full-day loop around the Broumov Walls.

A trip from Vila Marcelka

Vila Marcelka is in Broumov, so Hvězda is really close – you'll reach Křinice in a few minutes by car or bike, followed by a short walk through the forest. The trip suits a morning outing as well as an evening walk at sunset, when the view from the chapel gallery is at its best.

Back at the villa you can relax in the garden or on your room's balcony, lock your bikes in the garage and set off for more of the Broumov region the next day.