In the renovated churches under Lipnice in the Havlíčkův Brod area, there will be tours on Sunday

Lower Town – Renovations of churches will continue this year in Loukov and Lower Town in the Havlíčkův Brod region. Guided tours of monuments with 14th-century wall paintings will take place on Sunday during the Saint Mark's pilgrimage in Loukov. During the holidays, the churches under Lipnice Castle are freely accessible every weekend, and St. George's Church in Řečice is open during the week as well. This was stated today by the Lipnice castle custodian Marek Hanzlík.

The churches are open thanks to collaboration with the parish from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Visitors will find a leaflet with a description of the history and preserved paintings, Hanzlík stated. A more varied program is offered during the traditional days for the churches of Podlipnice held during the pilgrimages.

This weekend, the program of the Saint Mark's pilgrimage will start with a Saturday pilgrimage to St. Mark's Church in Loukov. Pilgrims will set out on their journey through the countryside at 2:00 PM from the chapel in Křepiny. There will be a benefit concert in the church. On Sunday, there will be a mass in Loukov at 10:00 AM, and guided tours of the churches will take place in the afternoon. A discussion that begins at 5:00 PM in the community house U Muchů in Lower Town will address the impacts of the collectivization of agriculture on farmers in Loukov.

For over 20 years, the non-profit organization Friends of the Podlipnice Churches has been working on the restoration and revitalization of the chapels under Lipnice. This year, they plan to complete the renovations of the interior of the church in Loukov. The work on the plaster on the northern wall of the church nave will cost approximately 150,000 crowns, with the region contributing. These renovations do not include the restoration of the paintings with biblical scenes, which are partially restored in the church. Further interventions by restorers are expected to follow in the coming years.

This year, repairs of the wooden bell tower at St. Martin's Church in Lower Town will begin at a cost of 350,000 crowns. An additional approximately two million crowns will be needed to complete the drainage and ventilation system of the church's foundational masonry. Hanzlík indicated that a request for a grant for this project is being prepared for the autumn call of the local action group Royal Path.