TOURISM AND SPORT
Hiking
Instructional trails in vicinity of Strážný
The suggested instructional trails 1 and 2 are interesting for the tourists interested in pre-historical settlements and their culture.
Trail No. 1, distance including return journey - 15 km. Starting point at the car park.
1 Solstice Stones
Coordinates: N 48°54.486´ E 13°40.536´
2 Burial Mound
Coordinates: N 48°54.558´ E 13°40.305´
3 Burial Mound
Coordinates: N 48°54.555´ E 13°39.990´
4 Stone Sanctuary
Coordinates: N 48°55.247´ E 13°38.815´
5 Ritual Circle
Coordinates: N 48°55.296´ E 13°38.712´
6 Menhir
Coordinates: N 48°55.602´ E 13°38.997´
7 Cult Site and Menhirs
Coordinates: N 48°55.440´ E 13°39.079´
Coordinates: N 48°55.477´ E 13°39.067´
Coordinates: N 48°55.491´ E 13°39.076´
Coordinates: N 48°55.545´ E 13°38.775´
Trail No. 2, distance including return journey - 15 km. Starting point at the car park.
8 Cult Rock
Coordinates: N 48°56.126´ E 13°40.488´
9 Dolmen
Coordinates: N 48°56.194´ E 13°40.730´
10 Cult Cave
Coordinates: N 48°56.210´ E 13°40.679´
11 Cult Rock
Coordinates: N 48°55.752´ E 13°40.925´
12 Menhir and settlement
Coordinates: N 48°55.276´ E 13°40.988´
13 Christianized Cult Rock
Coordinates: N 48°55.463´ E 13°41.276´
14 Ritual Place with Dishes
Coordinates: N 48°55.183´ E 13°42.565´
15 Chapel at a Pre-Christian Sacral Place
Coordinates: N 48°54.730´ E 13°42.987´
1 SOLSTICE STONES
Restored composition of two menhirs on the natural rock. It is called Pagan Stones (Heidensteine), or - according to the astronomic purpose attributed thereto - Solstice Stones (Sonnwendsteine). Its origin is the most probably pre-Celtic. The stones were supposed to indicate the date of summer solstice upon observation of the point of sunrise and the moment of winter solstice upon the point of sunset, as the direction of the passage in between them corresponds therewith. Considering their top position, the observation is nevertheless impossible without a third menhir (so-called vizir). We can therefore admit only determination of the summer solstice by the light beam penetrating through the gap between the rocks at sunrise. The original position of the larger menhir was closer to the smaller one, which is documented by adaptation of its lower side to the shape of the underlying rock. Through the gap, approximately 30 cm wide, the sun beam indicated a place on the flat stone behind the menhirs, where rituals were held on the solstice. The stay in today's gap the most probably has healing effects, especially on women. The water dish bellow the rock was not a sacrificial one, but the most probably served for the purposes of prophecy rituals. The lower and larger rock was knocked down twice in course of the last century and re-erected thereafter, last time in 2003.
2 BURIAL MOUND
A stone flat surface, the most probably with the burial purpose. Its character seems to be very unusual and is related with rituals. The ritual place is situated at the foot of the shorter side of a triangular mound. The rituals the most likely survived here until the period of so-called migration of peoples.
3 BURIAL MOUND
The most probably a place of a single burial of several people. The place apparently had a strong tradition and therefore still remained in existence during the medieval and recent settlement of Horní Světlé Hory (Oberlichtbuchet). Its appearance gives evidence of multiple repairs thereof in recent history. Its accenting with broad-leaved trees is interesting too. The character of the locality is significantly stressed out by the flat stone laying in the south-western direction, the purpose of which was the most probably a ritual one in both pre-Celtic and Celtic era.
4 STONE SANCTUARY
The most likely both pre-Celtic and Celtic ritual place is located in front of three stones. Its cult focus consisted in the phenomenon presently known as the cosmic energy flow. Today's appearance of the place is a result of a partial restoration after its violation with construction works in the mid-twentieth century. The menhir standing nearby has been restored too. It is difficult to say whether it was related with the sanctuary, because it has been removed far from its original position.
5 RITUAL CIRCLE
The most likely a pre-Celtic ritual place delimited with small stones organized in a circle. The geometry of a circle played an important role in certain types of ceremonies. In centre of the circle there is a sanctuary, the character of which indicates the most probably a druid cult with cosmic orientation. The entrance into the circle is in the direction from the road.
6 MENHIR
One of the oldest ceremonial places in the area. It is designated with a small menhir. The ritual place is located at the opposite side of the rock against the stone ridge. The cult practised at the place was the most probably a part of worshipping of the Earth as a deity or an intelligent being.
7 CULT SITE AND MENHIRS
The stone block at the top of Žďárská mountain shows certain signs of human intervention, the most likely in the pre-Celtic era. It is a part of a sanctuary that it delimits. The sacral places of this type consisted of a small territory bordered with smaller stones with the ritual place itself and of a prominent monument standing outside and giving the whole site a special visual character. That is why the ritual site is also placed here in the depression in front of the stone. The ritual carried out in here was apparently rather atypical for the druids. Identification of this cult's character is complicated and may refer to the area indirectly captured by the medieval legends of the Holy Grail. These matters in this region and this era have nevertheless still been unstudied. On the mound, closer to the clearance, there is a small stone - one of many menhirs used that way. These stones were supposed to create favourable conditions within the space of the burial ground and to serve the cult of underworld typical for the Celtic times.
Another bigger menhir the most likely served for healing purposes. Finally, there is one more stone a little further on the slope, which the most probably served as a place of initiation in both pre-Celtic and Celtic times. The initiation seems to have been carried out for two persons of the opposite sex at the same time and the ritual could therefore have a "nuptial" character. Several megalithic structures of various designations are concentrated on Žďárská mountain, which makes it a kind of sacral centre of various rituals including burials.
8 CULT ROCK
Rather discreet rock on Jelení mountain shows the signs of ritual and cult usage in the era before arrival of the Celts. It is very likely, that the cult of the Earth as well as various cosmic cults were practised here, mainly those connected with the equinox. Determination of the equinox easy thanks to the nearby and well visible mountain of Luzný serving as a "vizir", located precisely in the direction of the sunset (the azimuth of 270°). The rituals were practised exactly on the equinox or solstice.
9 DOLMEN
The shape that resembles classical dolmens only remotely was created by lying of a stone ceiling across the passage between two natural rocks, the most likely in the pre-Celtic era already. The passage thereunder represented a ritual of initiation of men and was a part of cosmic cult. The ancient cultures often perceived division of spiritual matters according to the gender in relation with cosmic laws.
10 CULT CAVE
At the rear side of the rock there is a small cave created artificially by its covering with a stone slab. It was a kind of local dolmen and served for the ritual of initiation of women. The journey to the cave was in fact a gradual ritual, which started at a small menhir in front and continued passed the saddle between rocks. The initiation was a part of the cult of the Earth, known as one of the main druid cults. Its final stage had to be carried out in a lying or sitting position.
11 CULT ROCK
Nearby the forest path there are several stones placed in straight line. They are the most probably reminders of a stone line ended up by a greater rock in the east - the place of rituals devoted to the Earth. Such rituals were a common spiritual part of life in the ancient era. The stone line was the most probably a necessary condition for the rituals to be functioning.
12 MENHIR AND SETTLEMENT
On a flat promontory we can see many reminders of human activities that may relate to the ancient settlement, including a small sanctuary marked out with a stone. The rituals of probably protective character were carried out at the northern side of the menhir. It is an example of the urge to protect an individual or the whole settlement against the threats being permanent part of thinking of the prehistoric people.
13 CHRISTIANIZED CULT ROCK
The passage between two rocks may be symbolic. The ancient rituals are nevertheless related to the rock with a cut-in niche. Formerly, a figurine of a Christian spiritual being, the most likely the Holy Virgin, was placed in here. It is an example of Christianizing of a pre-Christian (here also pre-Celtic) sacral place, situated by the rock in front of the recess, the meaning of which did not change even with the arrival of new cultures.
14 RITUAL PLACE WITH DISHES
At the northern side of the castle tower, opposite to the entrance, there is a flat rock, which used to be a setting of various rituals from the pre-Celtic era to the early Christian period. There are several water dishes that served for the purposes of divination from water surface. Besides that, there are several signs of rituals aimed at strengthening and protection of the surrounding area and of the cult of the Earth. The ritual place is situated on the rock in front of the dishes. Selection of the building site for the castle Kunžvart (Kungenslen, Kungenstein) in the 14th century might be influenced by the character of the rock. In Bohemia, there are several castles built at various pre-historical locations.
15 CHAPEL OF OUR LADY AUXILIARY
From 1834 is a local example of a Christian sacral building at a pre-historical cult site. The place of ancient rituals may be found in the older part of the chapel. There is an interesting connection with the position of the altar untraditionally facing west. Local rituals were carried out in approximately the same period as those of Kunžvart, but continued longer to the Middle Ages. Their orientation on the Earth was identical. The rituals were aimed only at women and had healing effects for them.
To the guard of the Golden Path
Strážný, bus stop – Strážný, car park 0,3 km – Outlook 1 km - Kunžvart, castle ruins, detour 2,5 km – Kunžvart and back 3 km - U křížku, crossroads 5 km – Nad Polkou 6 km – By the crossroads 8,5 km – Beyond the pastures of Horní Vltavice 9 km – Horní Vltavice, bridge 11,5 km - Havránka 12,5 km – former village of Žlíbky 15 km – Kořenný 17 km – Strឬný, bus stop 18 km
Through the region of extinct villages
Strážný – Na kapličce (By the chapel) 1,5 km – the stream at the Světlohorská road 3,5 km - Světlé Hory 5 km – beyond Horní Světlá Hory 6 km – beneath Žďárecká mountain 9 km – Žďárek 10 km – Stodůlky 11,5 km – the Čer¬vený stream 13,5 km – By the church (Knížecí Pláně) 15 km – Knížecí Plá¬ně, crossroads 15,5 km – Knížecí Pláně 16,5 km – Žďárské saddle 18 km – Žďárské lake 20,5 km – beneath Žďárecká mountain 21,5 km – Strឬný 27,5 km
Downhill Skiing