Věnec
| Věnec | ||
|---|---|---|
 View from Hradčany to Věnec |
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| height | 765.2 m nm | |
| location | Czech Republic | |
| Mountains | Bohemian Forest Foreland | |
| Coordinates | 49 ° 5 '55 " N , 13 ° 52' 5" E | |
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| rock | granite | |
| particularities | Castle ramparts | |
The Věnec (German Wienec , also Wienetz ) is a 765 m high mountain in the Czech Republic . It is located seven kilometers northwest of Vlachovo Březí on the border of the cadastral districts of Lčovice , Hradčany and Zálezly in the Bohemian Forest foothills . One of the largest prehistoric fortifications in Bohemia was located on the mountain. Its name, which means in German wreath , derives from the castle ramparts.
Location and surroundings
The Věnec with its secondary peak Pržmo rises at the Lčovice railway station on the right side above the Volyňka valley . To the east, the wooded mountain is surrounded by Radhostický potok and to the west by Hradčanský potok. The open mountain range Brdo extends to the south. The Keltský pramen, Pramen pod Věncen and Studánka springs are located on the northern slope. The Strakonice – Volary railway runs at the northern foot . Lčovice, Malenice , Zálezly, Kovanín, Setěchovice, Bolíkovice, Libotyně, Radhostice , Budilov, Bošice , Hradčany and Čkyně are at the foot of the Věnec .
Celtic fort
During the late Hallstatt period and the Latène period between the 5th century BC, the Věnec was located . BC and the 1st century a Celtic fortress. Together with three other smaller plants at Němětice, Libětice and Třebohostice, it is part of the Věnec Group. The complex consisted of an acropolis on the summit, as well as two outer castles. The acropolis took up an area of 0.5 ha and was surrounded on its circumference of 281 m partly by a 10–15 m high rock wall or by a mighty stone wall up to 10 m high. The outer castles were also surrounded by stone walls up to 5 m high. Overall, the facility extended over 8.2 hectares, the fortifications have an outer circumference of 1529 m.
Finds of valuable foreign bronze belts suggest that the fort was the seat of a powerful prince, whose territory also included Němětice , Libětice and Třebohostice . It is possible that the fortress was on an important trade route between the Salzkammergut and the Danube region. Due to the extent of the complex, it is assumed that in times of war and unrest it not only served as a defense but also as a place of refuge for the Celtic population of the Bohemian Forest foothills. It was abandoned forever at the beginning of the 1st century, but not destroyed.
The thesis put forward by the Neuhaus archivist František Teplý at the beginning of the 20th century that Věnec could have been the seat of the Marcomann king Marbod is rejected by today's historiography.
In 1958 the complex was declared a cultural monument. It is also an archaeological reserve. A systematic archaeological investigation has not yet been carried out.
Later story
Between the 13th and 14th centuries a systematic settlement and clearing of the primeval forest areas by Künische free farmers began. In the first artistic privilege of Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia in 1314, the villages Bošice, Budilov, Hradčany and Záhoří were listed. A medieval trade route called the Golden Steige ran across the Brdo mountain range , leading from the border at Kunžvart via Horní Vltavice , Pravětín, Trhonín, Láz , south of the Věnec over the Pržmo, and finally via Zlešice to Volyně . At the southern foot of the Věnec near Budilov there is a Künischer milestone ( Královácký mezník ) from the 17th century. In summer in the middle of the 19th century, the mountain is still famous for its beautiful view . The now completely wooded summit no longer offers this.
Individual evidence
- ^ Johann Gottfried Sommer : The Kingdom of Böhmen, Vol. 8 Prachiner Kreis , 1840, p. 326