Hlavačov

Hlavačov is a forgotten hillfort and the remains of a medieval fortified manor, located roughly 2.3 km northwest of the main square in Choceň, in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. The site sits on the edge of a steep bluff above the left bank of the Tichá Orlice river, right next to the railway line running from Choceň to Týniště nad Orlicí. Although only earthworks survive today, Hlavačov is considered the oldest of the noble seats connected to Choceň and one of the more interesting archaeological sites in the Podorlicko area.

Who built Hlavačov, and when?

Archaeological research shows that the first structure here went up shortly after 1250 – a partly sunken building, with traces of a fire found among its remains. Historians disagree on who founded it: some attribute the fort to the Drslavic family around the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, while others argue it may be the same stronghold recorded in 1289 as the royal fort of "Žebín." The only firm written record dates to 1338, when the fort was captured and destroyed by Crown Prince Charles – the future Emperor Charles IV – most likely in the course of a conflict with Mikuláš of Potštejn. The site was never rebuilt after that and has remained a ruin ever since.

What did the stronghold look like?

Hlavačov had a single-ward, trapezoidal layout set on a headland. On three sides it was protected by a ditch roughly 6 metres deep and a rampart up to 3 metres high; no stone walls have been confirmed, which points to timber-and-earth construction rather than masonry. Archaeologists have identified two building phases: the first predating 1250, and a second in which the ramparts were shifted further inward, likely because of unstable ground. In the southeastern corner, traces of a half-timbered structure damaged by a small fire have been found. The northeastern corner preserves the foundations of a residential building, while the northwestern corner holds the buried foundations of a square tower.

What is left to see on site today?

Only earthwork traces remain at Hlavačov now – clearly readable ditches and ramparts, but no masonry remnants. The site is listed as a protected cultural monument, valued as an example of an early medieval earth-and-timber fortification in the region. It is freely accessible, with no entrance restrictions or fees.

How do you get to Hlavačov?

The hillfort lies along a hiking route leading from Choceň toward the village of Darebnice, following the Dívčí doly educational trail. The same route also passes the remains of Zítkov castle and the medieval hillfort at Darebnice, with further remnants noted near Běstovice. That makes Hlavačov a natural stop on a longer walk linking several historical sites in the Podorlicko region.

Frequently asked questions

Is Hlavačov a castle or a hillfort? Sources describe it as both a fort and a fortified manor – it was an earth-and-timber stronghold with no stone walls, active roughly from the mid-13th century until 1338.

When and by whom was it destroyed? It was captured and destroyed in 1338 by Crown Prince Charles, later Emperor Charles IV, during a conflict with Mikuláš of Potštejn.

Is there anything to see there today? Yes – the ditches and earthen ramparts are still clearly visible in the terrain, though no masonry structures have survived.

Is admission charged? No, the site is freely accessible year-round.

How can visitors combine it with other sights? The best option is the trail from Choceň along the Dívčí doly educational path, which also passes the Zítkov and Darebnice hillforts.