*Exploring the western Prague parks: from Břevnov to Bílá Hora a 10 km tour*

• On Sunday 8 November 1620 a force of around 20,000 soldiers, recruited by the Protestant nobles of Bohemia, faced a slightly larger Catholic army loyal to Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II, on the gentle slopes of Bílá Hora (White Mountain) 7 km to the west of Prague castle. Neither army was particularly enthusiastic about fighting that day. The Protestant army had not been paid for months. The Catholics were tired from a long march and short on supplies. Although the Catholic force was larger, the Protestant army held the strategic higher ground. The weather was apparently cold and wet. Both sides would probably rather have called it a draw and reconvened in the Spring.
• The Imperial generals, however, decided to test the resolve of the Bohemian Estates lines with a small advance on the left flank. Surprisingly, the Protestant forces started to withdraw, so the Catholic army pressed the attack. After inconclusive skirmishes between opposing cavalry forces, the Protestant forces started to waver and several units – most of which had not fought – began to retreat from the battlefield. Part of the Estates army was trapped close to the nearby Renaissance ‘Star castle’ and suffered heavy casualties. The whole battle lasted no more than two hours and the Protestant army was routed. The loss of their canons, supplies and (probably most importantly) prestige meant that the Protestant coalition lost control of Bohemia.
• The consequences of the Battle of White Mountain were far reaching. Over the following two centuries, the country was ‘re-catholicized’ and Bohemia remained part of the Habsburg Empire until the end of World war I. Six months after the battle, 27 of the most prominent Protestant leaders were executed in Prague’s Old Town Square. Protestant estates across the country were confiscated and sold off cheaply to the victors. One of the main beneficiaries was the 37 year old Albrecht of Valdštejn, a minor Czech noble but rising star in the Imperial army. Valdštejn secured ownership of much of north Bohemia and become governor of the country in the aftermath of White Mountain.
• The landscape that witnessed these tumultuous events in the 17th century can be explored in an easy walk that links several small park areas in western Prague. In medieval times, much of the land on which the Protestant and Catholic armies gathered before the battle was owned by the monastery of Břevnov. This was the first male monastery in Bohemia, founded by Saint Adalbert in 993 AD. In the aftermath of White Mountain, Břevnov was able to recover its prosperity and was finally reconstructed into its current spectacular Baroque form.
• The nearby Renaissance summer castle has also been preserved in fine shape. This is the well known – and frequently photographed – ‘Star Castle’. It was designed by Archduke Ferdinand (who was governor of Bohemia in the mid 16th century) as a summer hunting residence. Its six pointed star shape is unique and reflects Ferdinand’s interest in philosophical symbolism. It was never designed as a military fortress – which is perhaps ironic as the only battle fought near its walls was won by forces loyal to Archduke Ferdinand’s nephew, the Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand II.
• An interesting route can be created which starts at Břevnov monastery (which has its own small but attractive park area), traverses through the park that houses the Star castle (which has an informative educational trail), and then visits the memorial cairn on the ‘top’ of Bílá Hora (White Mountain is actually little more than a slightly elevated plateau).
• On the return from the Bílá Hora site, the route passes the ornate 18th century Church of Our Lady of Victory, reconstructed to commemorate the Battle of White Mountain, probably based on a design by the legendary Czech-Italian architect, Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel. The church is attached to a Benedictine monastery, which is still in use and is an important pilgrimage site.
• From the Benedictine monastery, it is possible to catch a tram back to Břevnov or take the cycle route which passes through the Ladronka park, now popular as a destination for multiple sports activities, including in-line skating. This was the site of a 14th century winery – the original building has been converted into a restaurant and visitor centre.
• The whole route is just less than 10 km long (6 km if the tram is taken back after visiting the battle memorial) with less than 100m of height gained/lost. The route is suitable for walkers with buggies. There are several good refreshment options on the route, including at the Star castle (a café), in Ladronka park and finally at Břevnov monastery, where there is a brewery (potentially the oldest in Bohemia) and a (recommended) pub.

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

Note – there are no marked trails for this route, so following it on the mapy.cz phone app may be the safest way to follow the directions without getting a bit lost in all the side streets…

• The walk can be started at any point on the 10 km circuit, but Břevnov is good starting point as it has a tram stop opposite (and parking area – 3 hours maximum – for those driving). In addition it has a good restaurant with its own historic brewery for refreshment after finishing the walk…
• Take some time to look around the monastery and its attractive park area (either before or after the walk)
• To begin the walk, take the footpath which heads west (away from Prague center) which starts at the entrance to the parking area, just a few meters before the main road Bělohorská (point 4 on the map)
• Follow this path for 800m to reach the Ankarská street. Cross the street and follow the cycle path along Nad Klášterním street for 500m to reach the main entrance to the Obora Hvězda park area
• If wanting to spend extra time in Obora Hvězda park area, there is an educational trail which explores the area with 14 information boards (in Czech but with a smartphone link to an English translation). At a minimum take one of the side alleys to approach the castle from an oblique angle
• Leave the park area via the south gate, passing close to the exposed cliffs of sandstone – the sand was deposited in the Cretaceous geological period some 80 million years ago, when much of Bohemia was covered by a shallow tropical sea
• On leaving the park, take the footpath heading southwest towards the low hill, which is an agricultural field, some 500m away. This is Bílá Hora (the White Mountain)
• Follow the path to the cairn monument in the middle of the field (see second picture below)
• Leave the hill area in the opposite direction from the Star castle, passing the ornate Baroque Church of Our Lady of Victory before reaching the main street of Karlovarská. Here there is a tram terminal -trams go back to Břevnov and-or the center
• If preferring to walk back to Břevnov, cross Karlovarská street. Immediately opposite the Church of Our Lady of Victory is a path that leads through to Čistovická street
• Turn left on Čistovická street. This is a cycle path which follows the street for 1.5 km to reach the start of the Ladronka sports park area
• Follow the pedestrian paths into the park – there are several paths – but staz on the south (right hand side) of the park to reach the converted winery area, where there is a restaurant and snack bar (see first picture below)
• From the Ladronka restaurant cross the park and leave the area on the north side. Cross the side streets heading slightly down hill to reach the Břevnov monastery area after 900m