Stone guidepost in Strážkovice

The stone guidepost in Strážkovice stands at the southern edge of the village green, right where roads to České Budějovice, Nové Hrady and Komařice once met. It is a modest but genuinely interesting piece of road-building history, nearly two centuries old, that survives as a physical trace of the years when southern Bohemia's road network was still taking the shape we recognize on later maps.

Why was it built here?

The signpost owes its existence to the construction of two important new roads through the region. In the late 1830s a route was laid connecting Třeboň through Ledenice, Strážkovice, Komařice and on to Holkov, and around the mid-1840s a second road was built linking České Budějovice with Trhové Sviny and Nové Hrady. Since both routes crossed right in Strážkovice, the junction needed a permanent marker showing travelers which way to go. Records place the erection of this stone guidepost between January and April 1846, with its existence confirmed by a document dated 22 April of that year.

What does the guidepost actually look like?

The design is simple but deliberate. The whole structure stands 185 centimeters tall today and consists of two parts joined with mortar: a shaft and a cap. The shaft tapers as it rises - about 40 centimeters across at the base, narrowing to just 30 centimeters near the top. Crowning it is a small cap, 13.5 centimeters high and slightly bulging in the middle, that overhangs the shaft by 3.5 centimeters, forming a modest ledge that helps shed rainwater.

Roughly 12 centimeters below the cap, a shallow carved frame runs around the stone - just 1 centimeter deep but 40 centimeters tall. This is where the original German-language inscription was carved: "Nach Wittingau - Budweis - Gratzen," naming Třeboň, České Budějovice, and Nové Hrady (Gratzen being the town's older German name). An arrow beneath each place name pointed travelers in the correct direction - a system legible even to strangers passing through unfamiliar country.

What has happened to it since?

The original German inscriptions have grown difficult to read after two centuries of weather and wear. At some point in the later 19th century, Czech-language text was added alongside them, reflecting the shifting linguistic makeup of the region over time. The lower section of the stone is coated in a layer of white lime wash, and the entire post received a protective finish during the second half of the 19th century - a treatment that has helped it survive to the present day.

Is there another stone monument nearby?

Yes - not far away, beside a secondary road just south of the village, stands a second notable stone: a granite reconciliation cross (smírčí kámen) carved with a Latin cross, dated to the 17th century. Local tradition holds that a French soldier died at this spot. Reconciliation stones like this one were raised as part of a so-called reconciliation settlement - an out-of-court agreement between the person responsible for a death and the victim's family, which alongside financial compensation typically required erecting a cross as a public acknowledgment of guilt and repentance.

Frequently asked questions

How old is the guidepost in Strážkovice? It was erected between January and April 1846, making it nearly two hundred years old.

What material is it made from? Stone - a cylindrical shaft topped with a slightly bulging cap, the two pieces joined with mortar.

What did the inscription on the guidepost say? It pointed the way to three towns - Třeboň (Wittingau), České Budějovice (Budweis), and Nové Hrady (Gratzen) - each with its own directional arrow.

Is there another old stone monument in the area? Yes, a 17th-century granite reconciliation cross stands beside the road just south of the village.