In the area of the former Karviná city centre and today’s territory of a the city’s district called Doly, there is St. Peter of Alcantara Church, also known as a the leaning church in Karviná.
The leaning church in Karviná was built in 1736 in a baroque style and is dedicated to St. Peter of Alcantara. This church constitutes the residue from the original Karviná city centre, – hardly anything has been preserved apart from it. During the last century, intensive coal-mining led to massive soil settlement, in some places even by incredible 36 metres. Old houses of a busy city of Karviná with a dozen or so inhabitants changed this way into a pile of rubble. However, the church survived, although it started to lean towards one side and for many years there had been a threat that the building might collapse. At the end of the previous century its demolition was still considered, however, this was the time when the church stopped leaning further – the process stopped at 6.8 degrees, that is, three degrees more than the lean level of the leaning tower in Pisa. Due to the exceptional historical value, the church has been thoroughly renovated. The park nearby has also been restored.
Every Sunday, masses are celebrated both in Czech and Polish. If you don’t have a possibility to visit the church during a mass, try to make an appointment for an individual tour. It’s an extraordinary experience when you stand on a level floor, but the walls around you seem to collapse, it’ surely worth checking out for yourself.
