Popravčí vrch

Execution Hill (Popravčí vrch) rises quietly above the shore of Naděje pond, on the opposite bank of the river from Zámostí, the old settlement below Hluboká Castle. For centuries this modest hill served as the execution site for the township at the castle's foot – a grim counterpart to the fairy-tale silhouette of Hluboká that draws visitors today.

Why does a hill near a fairytale castle carry this name?

The settlement below Hluboká Castle was never formally a town, only a market township. Even so, it held one of the most significant medieval privileges: the right of high justice, meaning local authorities could pass and carry out death sentences on their own. Executions took place on this hill across the river from the settlement itself, away from the town's buildings.

Was this where Záviš of Falkenštejn was executed?

Local tradition has long linked Popravčí vrch to the execution of Záviš of Falkenštejn, the powerful nobleman beheaded in 1290. Historical research does not support this connection: the actual execution site is placed in Zámostí, on the opposite riverbank, not on Popravčí vrch itself. Záviš is still remembered in the region through relics kept at the monastery in Vyšší Brod, where, according to local tradition, his head is preserved.

When was the last execution carried out here?

The last recorded execution on Popravčí vrch took place in 1773. The condemned was Alžběta Prázdná, a maidservant sentenced to death for killing her own illegitimate child. Some sources place the actual execution in České Budějovice, with her heart additionally pierced by a wooden stake, following the custom applied to the most serious offenders of the time.

What have archaeologists found on the hill?

In June 1934, workers quarrying stone in the area uncovered a human skeleton missing its skull. The find was not unexpected: condemned criminals were denied burial in consecrated cemeteries and were instead buried directly at the execution site, often in unmarked graves with no way to establish their identity.

How is the site marked today?

A chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows was later built on the hill. In 1994, the Foundation for the Development of Cultural Heritage erected a stone cross referencing the site's grim history. An older memorial stone, carved with the date 1768, still stands at the highest point of the former execution mound. Together, the chapel, the cross, and the stone are the only visible traces of the site's former purpose.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Popravčí vrch located? On the shore of Naděje pond, on the opposite bank of the Vltava from Zámostí, the old settlement below Hluboká Castle.

Is this the place where Záviš of Falkenštejn was executed? No. Despite the popular association, his 1290 execution is historically placed in Zámostí, not on Popravčí vrch itself.

When did the last execution take place here? In 1773, when maidservant Alžběta Prázdná was put to death for killing her own child.

Are there any historical markers at the site? Yes – a chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows, a stone cross from 1994, and an older memorial stone dated 1768.

Can the hill be reached on foot from Hluboká? Yes, it lies right across the river from the township, within easy walking distance, and is often visited alongside Hluboká Castle.