poutní

Poutní is a Czech adjective meaning "pilgrimage-related" or "pertaining to pilgrims." It derives from the noun pouť, which denotes a religious journey or local festival connected with a sacred site. In usage, poutní qualifies places, events, objects and practices associated with pilgrimages: common collocations include poutní místo (pilgrimage site), poutní kostel (pilgrimage church), poutní slavnost (pilgrimage feast) and poutní píseň (pilgrimage song).

Grammatically, poutní functions as a regular adjectival form in Czech and appears across genders and cases to agree with the modified noun. It is frequently used in compound toponyms and names of ecclesiastical sites, reflecting both geographical and devotional identity.

Culturally, the adjective marks a long-standing element of Central European Catholic practice. In the Czech lands and Slovakia, many hilltops, chapels and basilicas are described as poutní and attract seasonal crowds for rites, processions and communal gatherings. Notable examples include well-known pilgrimage centres that host annual pilgrimages and religious festivities. The term also appears in historical descriptions, literature and music where pilgrimage serves as literal or metaphorical journey.

Outside strictly religious contexts, poutní can be used more broadly to evoke themes of travel, devotion or tradition, preserving its connection to communal memory and regional heritage.