tvrziště Na Baště v Tihavě Motte

Welcome to Tihava. You are standing in a place where time has stopped and where nature is trying to empower its greenery and calm what once was a symbol of human power and unwavering power. Before your eyes, there is a view that can calm you at first glance, but know that beneath this layer of silence and calm water lies a rich and exciting past. Look around you. Do you see this moat that surrounds this space? It's not just plain water in the landscape that happened to swarm. It's a remnant of something much more powerful that once stood here. You're standing outside the fort of the Bastion. Even though today we see more natural shapes and remains that gradually return to the earth, feel this atmosphere. Feel the calm of this day mixed here with the echo of a long time ago when this place served as a firm hand in this area, a place to protect, decide and show the power of those who lived here.

To truly understand why this place is so special, we must go back deep into the past together, to a time when the borders between the knights' worlds and ordinary people have not yet been so clear. The first clue we can find in our old records and documents is in the year one thousand thirty-three. That's when the name of Mares from Tihava appears in the written records. He was probably the first man we could connect to this mansion. Imagine him, at the time when security was the greatest value, deciding the fate of his surroundings and building the foundations of his home. Later, in the year of one thousand and four hundred and sixteen, the storytellers recorded the end of the life of John of Tihava, another important man associated with this family. These places were not just ordinary homes; it was a centre of power, a place that served as an important point for the management of the surrounding property and as a defensive point for all those who lived under the protection of this mansion. In the sixteenth century, Tihava's fates continued to intersect with wider history, when this area became part of the Gentile estate. With this, this small but incredibly important fortress became part of the much larger political and economic system that controlled these countries at the time.

Now pay attention to what you see right in front of you, and try to reconstruct the shapes that once stood here in the eyes of imagination. Although the main buildings are no longer in their original state, their trail is indestructible in the landscape. Notice this moat in particular. This is not just a narrow dam, but a wide water road, which, in its greatest glory, measured between eight and 16 metres. Imagine the width, the obstacle any enemy would have had to try to attack to get to the very heart of the fort. This water was the first and most important line of defense. Now look in the middle. You see that little island in the middle of the water? This is the very core of this place. It was on this island, in a place that was once the safest place where people could hide from danger, that the chapel of St. John Nepomuk was later built. It is a fascinating connection - a place that was once meant to fight, to defend and to maintain power has become a place of spiritual peace and prayer over time. This chapel gives the whole complex its present, a little mysterious and sacred touch. Feel the natural elements, such as water and earth, intermingle beautifully with the human work left here.

When you look at these shapes in the landscape, remember the people who used to walk here on the same paths and see this space as their home. Tihava wasn't empty. It was full of names that today in our books evoke memories of ancient times. In addition to the mentioned Mareš and John, there were other important people whose names are connected to this place. Drslav z Tihavy, Zdeněk z Koněprus, which in the year of the first thousand four hundred seventy-two was the last known holder of this property. Each of these names represents its own story, its own ambition, and perhaps even the fear of the unknown. We can also think of figures like Vladislav II or Mikuláš z Landštejna whose names are closely associated with this time and this region. These people weren't just names in papers; They were people with their own desires who perceived this fortress as their fortress and their honor. Imagine their everyday life, their decision-making and how much it mattered that these walls and these waters remain intact and that their family name remains safe.

There is one thing that might interest you and leave you in deep consideration. It's the incredible transformation this place has undergone. How does it happen that a place designed to fight, surrounded by such a broad moat of water, to reflect attacks and defend against the enemy, will become a place so quiet and peaceful, where the chapel now dominates? There is a certain mystery of human nature - our efforts to build forts to protect ourselves from the world, and, consequently, our desire to seek peace and spiritual comfort in the very heart of these fixed places. This transformation from a military point to a cultural monument is a beautiful proof of how our needs and our views of the world change over the centuries. The Castle of the Bastion is not just a pile of remains or remains, it is a living witness to the transformation of time and human life.

Now that you have gained at least a little insight into the past of this place, I suggest you continue your walk. See the surroundings, feel the silence and try to draw the faces of those who lived here hundreds of years ago. Let the atmosphere of Tihava and Kotopka drift. See how light is reflected from water and how nature tries to do its job. Thank you for spending this moment with us and for being interested in our common heritage. We wish you a beautiful and inspiring journey further. Goodbye.