Nalžovické Podhájí Hillfort

Welcome to Naljovický Podvojí. You have just entered a space that will not tell you stories through tall walls, monumental towers or decorative statues, but through the very shapes of the earth and the silence that exists here. You are standing at a strategic point, on a sharp point, which has been used since time immemorial as an observer and a refuge. Look around you. You can see the vast landscape of the Central Bohemia Region, but try to look at it differently. Imagine it not as today's fields and forests, but as a dynamic environment that has been changing for millennia. Feel the atmosphere of this place where every piece of land can hide a secret from thousands of years ago.

This mountain is not just part of the natural relief. It is a witness to the human effort that began at a time when the world had just learned to control metals. The history of this place is deeper than it might seem. Even at the time of eneolite, that is, when mankind began experimenting with the first use of copper, someone here decided that this is the right place. That's not just an assumption. Archaeological findings, such as the tiny but incredibly valuable piece of pottery from the time of the Chinese culture, clearly tell us that people lived here, worked and sought safety about two thousand five hundred BC. Imagine the first settlers to look here at the same sky as you, looking for protection from the unknown in this terrain.

But let us now move forward several thousand years in time, into the period that gave this place its greatest historical weight. Now pay attention to the idea of the end of the tenth century. This is the moment when the power center of our state was formed. Nalžovické Podhájí at this time became one of the important supporting points of the Přemyslivov dynasty. It wasn't just a settlement, it was part of a wider defense network system to protect the rising power of the royal line. During this period, for approximately 50 years, the main phase of the use of the castle took place here. Imagine this place as a living center that wasn't lonely. In order to fulfil its strategic role, it has been maintained by several service settlements, which are probably inhabited by people ensuring the needs of this fortified point. It was a place of communication, business and defense.

Now look at the terrain itself under your feet and around you. Even if you no longer find wooden palisades or stone walls that once protected the inhabitants, the trace remains in the ground. Notice how the slope of the slope changes and how the ground suddenly falls or changes its shape in some places. If you now focus towards the northwest side, you can see evidence of ancient engineering art. There was a massive moat in this section. Although it is now only part of the landscape, its dimensions are still impressive. He was four meters wide and one meter deep. Imagine the enormous difficulty of working, where people, by hand, using simple tools, dug up this massive barrier to make it harder for the enemy. This ditch was not just a hole in the ground, it was a symbol of the power and determination of the people who lived here.

To learn anything about this place, we need to go back to recent history, namely, 1950. That's when fundamental archaeological research under the leadership of Libuš Jansa began here. It is precisely because of her patience, precision and ability to read in clay that we can today reconstruct this history. Imagine the archaeologists, both in the silence of the morning, with little brushes and shoulder blades, uncovering layer by layer to tell us about the Chinese ceramics or the imaginary administration of this territory. Libuš Jansa's work allowed us to understand that what you see as an ordinary hill is actually a complex archive of human destiny.

You may be interested in one thing that remains unclear here. How is it that this place has become so important in such different times? Why did people come back here thousands of years after the first settlers left their ceramic vessels? It's about how unique this is. It offers a combination of the natural advantages of the terrain and strategic location, which has not resisted even changing political situations. This continuity of settlement, from the age of eneolithic to the early Middle Ages, is one of the greatest mysteries and at the same time the greatest evidence of the power of this place.

Now, however, I will no longer hold you in place. I suggest you continue your walk on the surrounding terrain. Try to see every change in the tilt of the earth and every trace left by the human hand centuries ago. Take a look at the surrounding vegetation and try to imagine what this place looked like at the time of its greatest glory, when the service settlements and the castle were working here as a key point for building the state. Thank you for joining us on this short journey through time. We wish you a pleasant continuation in exploring this fascinating place.