Radhost

Religious 1129 m high mountain of the Beskids, from of old the seat of heathen god Radegast.

Radegast, the Slavic god of harvest, plenty and conviviality, as well as of sun and fire, was a great lover of good food and drink according to mythology. Our ancestors had a respect for him. From far they brought him gifts - cattle, a part of their harvest and game.

The statue of Radegast stands at the top of Radhost. The statue was created by Albin Polasek, the native of Frenstat pod Radhostem, in 1929. The statue displays Radegast with a bull's head and a horn of plenty. The original 3 meters tall statue was made of artificial stone and mixed with crushed granite. However, the statue could not resist the harsh weather. The largest damage of the statue was caused by a lightning during a big storm. That´s why there was installed an exact copy by the monumental mason Jan Sobek. He made it from natural granite, which is so strong material that even in extreme mountain conditions can stand without severe damage for several centuries. The original statue of Radegast decorates the entrance of the Frenstat town hall.

There are several other interesting places on the Radhost Hill:

Sculpture of Cyril and Methodius
Reputedly these two evengelists from Thessaloniki visited Radhost on arrival to Great Moravia in 860s. The sculpture was made by sculptor Albin Polasek. Both figures with bare heads and sandals create the sculpture that is molten from bronze, 2.60 m tall and weights 800 kg. The sculpture is the exact opposite of the statue of the pagan god Radegast. The brotherhood and the desire for unification irradiates from the scuplture.

Chapel of Saints Cyril and Methodius
The cornerstone of Radhost chapel was consecrated on 5th July 1896. Three years later the finished chapel was consecrated by Olomouc Archbishop Theodor Kohn. Architect Skibinský designed the construction of the chapel in the style of Byzantine buildings to symbolize the origin of two Byzantine saints. The chapel was decorated with a marble altar of Cyril and Methodius by sculptor Neumann from Kromeriz and in 1904 there was built side altar for a painting the Wallachian Madonna by Liebscher. The original painting has been replaced by a copy by the painter Otakar Pavlovsky. Mosaics in the eight windows show scenes from the life of Cyril and Methodius, and also St.. Hedwig, St. Ludmila, St. Wenceslas and John of Nepomuk. An extensive renovation of the chapel was made in 1924 -1926. A bell tower of the chapel was reconstructed in 2000.

Radegast nature trail
The Radegast nature trail has nine information boards, which teach walkers a little about the natural history, landscapes and history of this beautiful and well-known corner of the Beskids Mountains. It is about 4 km long and leads from the saddle of Pustevny to St. Cyril and Methodius Chapel in Radhost. The tour takes you about 1-1.5 hours of easy walk.