Řivnáč Hillfort

Welcome, distinguished visitors. Please stop for a moment, take a breath and feel the space around you. You are standing just on the top platform west of the Pásov near the Solution, in a place called Řivnáč. This terrain may seem like a quiet landscape to you now, but beneath your feet is a fascinating layer of history that goes deep into the prehistoric world. Imagine going back thousands of years. This place was not just an ordinary hill, but a strategic point, a fortress that served as a safe haven and a center of life in the time of its inhabitants.

Now let's think together about who lived here and why they chose this place. Řivnáč was already inhabited during the period of eneolite, a time when mankind began experimenting with copper and gradually moving from stone tools to metal. This era has brought about fundamental changes in the organization of society as well as in how people perceived their landscape. It was this locality that was so special to the people back then that it became a symbol of its time. Did you know that because of the finder's effects from this place, she got the name of the entire culture of the town? It's an incredible feeling to realize that right here, where you're standing, the identity of the entire prehistoric region has been defined.

Now, please pay attention to the surrounding countryside. Look around you and see the steep terrain. Notice the rocky slopes surrounding this platform. These natural collisions are the key to understanding why Řivnáč was so important. The slopes fall up to 100 meters to the bottom of the Vltava Valley. For people of primeval age, that meant perfect natural protection. Whoever wanted to attack the castle had to overcome steep and dangerous rocks, while the inhabitants of the castle had a perfect view of everything that was going on in the valley. This dominant position made them masters of space.

Now, if you look around the platform, you may not see any masonry, but let's try to reconstruct what once stood here. The architecture of the then dwellings was simple but very functional. Imagine small houses that didn't have high walls, but their floors were buried in the ground, which helped keep the heat warm in the winter months. The walls of these houses were covered in dirt, which served as insulation and wind protection. They weren't palaces, but they were homes where day-to-day duties were performed, cooked and slept. Feel this atmosphere of simplicity and harmony with nature that has ruled here for centuries.

In order to know what was going on here today, we must thank the people who have entered this place with a shovel and patience in hand. Let's stop by the names that are closely linked to Řivnáč. The first major breakthrough occurred in the nineteenth century. In the year one thousand eight hundred eighty one began archaeological research Čeněk Ryzner. He was a man with an incredible vision who at that time revealed that Řivnáč is the first explored, non-olithic high-rise settlement in the whole of Bohemia. Imagine the enthusiasm he must have felt as he gradually tied the traces of the people who lived here thousands of years ago. His work laid the foundation for everything we know about this place today.

But time passed, and Řivnáč kept revealing new secrets. Much later, in the year one thousand nine hundred forty-eight, he came to Ivan Borkovský's place. He focused on details that help us understand how the fort worked as a fortress. He examined the remains of the fortifications that supplemented the natural protection of the rock slopes. Thanks to his work, we know that people here relied not only on nature, but actively built their defenses to ensure the safety of their community.

And now I want to take you to one of the greatest mysteries and most interesting events that have happened to this place. Although Řivnáč is primarily associated with a ruler, history did not end here with the end of the eneolithic. In the year one thousand nine hundred twenty-four there was an unexpected discovery. Archaeologists here found a collection of over a hundred denarii, silver coins, dating back to about a thousand twelve. That's a fascinating contrast, don't you think? In a place that defined prehistoric culture, coins from the Middle Ages suddenly appeared. Why were they here? Were those hidden treasures? Lost payment? Or perhaps a trace of later visitors who perceived the magic of this place after centuries? This coin reminds us that history is not a straight line, but a layered pie where the different ages overlap.

It is this uniqueness that caused the state to declare the castle a cultural monument in the year one thousand nine hundred sixty-five. This step has ensured that these valuable traces of the past will not be lost and that even you can stand here today and perceive its energy.

Now if you look around you, try to connect all these pieces of the puzzle. You see the steep cliffs, imagine the clay houses with the floor down, and in your mind, you'll see Chenek Ryzner testing the first layers of the earth with enthusiasm. Řivnáč is not just an archaeological site, it is a monument to human efforts to survive, secure and build a community. It's a place where the natural force of the Vltava Valley has joined with human ingenuity.

Thank you for stopping in time for a moment. Now, I encourage you to take a slow and peaceful walk on the platform. Feel the silence, observe the horizon, and try to imagine what view people had thousands of years ago, watching their landscape from this peak point. Let yourself be inspired by the mystery of the Orthodox culture and the feeling of history that is still present here in every stone and in every handful of clay.

I wish you a pleasant continuation of your discovery and hope that your visit to Řivnáč accompanied you with a sense of amazement from our shared roots. See you at the other sights.