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History

Prašivá hill has for centuries been an important place of interest in this region. Especially after 1640, when a wooden church was built on the summit, it became a popular destination for pilgrims. Masses have been celebrated and pilgrims have visited ever since then. In 1891, pilgrims were joined by what were called 'People's Assemblies'. Speakers of significance, such as representatives of the Silesian Provincial Congress, gave speeches at these assemblies. Both the pilgrimages and assemblies soon became very popular, attracting people from far and wide. Historical sources mention as many as 8000 pilgrims at one pilgrimage. 
 











The tourist chalet at the top of Prašivá Mountain has been there since 1921. It is the result of the efforts by local Czech patriots in opposition to the expanding German ‘Beskidenverein’ Association. At the end of the 19th century, when organised hiking tours in the Beskydy Mountains began, the Germans started to build tourist shelters in the region. While they had mountain chalets on Lysá Mountain and many other important sites (Bílý Kříž, Javorový, Čantoria and others), the Czechs were forced to meet at the foothills.
 











The idea to build Czech tourist chalets was first born in the patriots’ club in Těšín. MUDr Augustín Peter, Vít Valuch and Priest Jan Ježíšek became the first campaigners of organised Czech tourism. In the course of the year 1895, two tourist clubs (‘Turistická jednota’ in Těšín followed by ‘Beskydský spolek’ in Morávka) were founded. Both clubs started to mark trails, provide accommodation and write down directions for mountain hiking. In 1910, on the occasion of the economic and industrial exhibition in Dobrá, it was decided that a Czech tourist club would be founded. The first assembly of ‘Beskydská jednota slezská’ (Silesian Beskydy Union), with its headquarters in Raškovice, was held on 1st September 1910. Josef Adámek, a manufacturer and the Mayor of Raškovice, was elected as Chairman. One of the goals of the Union was to build a tourist chalet at Prašivá, pursuing a 10-year-old intention of Dr. Kordač, who had negotiated the purchase of the land near the Church at Prašivá in 1899. However, it was not until 1912 that the land could be purchased.
 











The first plan was drawn up by the architect Joža Dvořák. The costs were not to exceed 23 000 Austrian crowns. Unfortunately, WW1 broke out and the chalet was never built, since most of the activists left the region to fight at the front. Shortly after the War, after the establishment of Czechoslovakia, the Union moved from Raškovice to Frýdek. Its 19 members met on 17th December 1919. A new code of rules was established, new Committee appointed and the Union was renamed ‘Pobeskydská jednota slezská’. The new Chairman, Jan Valeček (whose portrait hangs on the restaurant’s wall) was a former Head of the District Court and later became Head of the Judicial Council in Moravská Ostrava. He was also an avid skier and hiker. It was he who initiated the construction of the first Czech tourist chalet on the Silesian side of Beskydy Mountains. It was to be built at Prašivá, where a plot of land was available. Jaro Čermák, a famous local architect, prepared the new plans for the chalet. Construction started on 11th April 1921. In autumn of the same year, the chalet was opened. It is unbelievable that a chalet worth of CZK 273 300 was built within just six months. This was accomplished not only due to the support of local villages, financial institutions and state forests, but also to individuals and hundreds of small donors. Even President Masaryk, as a member of the Radhošť Mountain Union, contributed CZK 5 000. Mr Tesárek, a well-known inn-keeper, became the first caretaker of Prašivá Chalet.


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