A short walk around the legendary Slavic hillfort of Vraclav and the Baroque pilgrimage area: 3 km

• The hillfort of Vraclav, situated just outside the East Bohemian town of Vysoké Mýto, is associated with one of the most notorious massacres in Bohemian history; an event that makes the Red Wedding in the Game of Thrones look like a minor family squabble.
• The Vršovci were an early medieval noble family who vied for power with the ruling Přemyslid dynasty in Bohemia during the 11th and 12th centuries. After various attempts to eliminate the leadership of the Vršovci clan in the 11th century, the final move in the brutal family conflict came in October 1108 when the leaders of the Vršovci were invited by the Přemyslid Prince, Svatopluk, to the fortress in Vraclav for a meeting. According to the medieval Chronicler, Cosmas, the leader of the clan – Mutina – was immediately beheaded. The remainder of the family were imprisoned and subsequently executed, including Mutina’s young sons. Hundreds of the clan were rounded up across the country and killed.
• A few members of the family escaped into Poland, but the influence and power of the Vršovci in Bohemia was forever destroyed. There was, however, one final twist in the story. In 1109, Svatopluk was campaigning in Poland when he was ambushed by a lone horseman. The Přemyslid Prince was killed (perhaps fittingly) with a spear thrust in the back. According to contemporary historians, the assassin was Jan, one of the last remaining members of the Vršovci clan.
• Little remains today of the Slavic hillfort at Vraclav, but it is still an atmospheric place to visit. There is a monument in the center of the fortress, erected in 1908 to mark the 800th anniversary of the massacre. Just below the hillfort, there is more to see at the Baroque settlement of Svatý Mikuláš. The site of a miraculous healing spring, the site became both a spa and an important place of pilgrimage in the 18th and 19th centuries. The future of the picturesque Baroque complex is uncertain, as the Regional Museum in Vysoké Mýto closed its presence at the site in 2026.
• The walk from Vraclav village to both the hillfort and Baroque complex is little more than 2 km long, with around 50m of height to ascend-descend. It is an easy short walk. There are pubs in both Vraclav village and Svatý Mikuláš, but these appear to be generally only open in the late afternoon/evenings.

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’ above to go to a full screen version directly on the mapy.cz site. This can be used for online navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file

Directions

• The village of Vraclav can be reached by bus from Vysoké Mýto and there is a parking area in the main square
• Join the GREEN trail heading towards Vraclav – sv. Mikuláš. This passes directly through the hillfort and onto the the Baroque spac complex
• For a circular trip, it is possible to follow a section of the Planetární putování education trail back to the village center, as shown in the map above (the trail extends west of the village for a total of 6 km, if wanting a longer walk)