Mírové námestí - Slavonice, Czech Republic - Picture Perfect Postcards on Waymarking.com

The town came into life around the 12th century. The oldest written record of its existence dates from 1260. What was originally a mere hamlet turned later into a market town owned by the Lords of Hradec (the House of Vítkovec). The settlement gradually grew until it became a fortified town with a complex of underground passages, which are believed to have been built in the 13th century. These used to work both as drainage channels and fortification system. The town saw a number of major changes in the 14th century. Former circular fortified settlement expanded westwards into a spacious, slightly sloping market square (named “námestí Míru” today) and, simultaneously, the town added another market located in a widened street in the east (today, “Horní námestí” square). Both squares were bordered by medieval townhouses built on properties of stretched, long shapes with narrow yards whose rear parts were filled with barns and farming facilities.

The town was at its peak in the 16th century when all the houses located in both squares underwent complete renovations. Their exteriors and interiors have preserved until today. You still may see diamond vaults, facades equipped with typical gables derived from Italian Renaissance and a guild hall adorned with wall paintings. You should not miss the richly decorated sgraffiti (letter ones as well as complex figurative scenes). The year 1600 marked the end of construction boom in Slavonice and the town experienced truly hard times during the 30-year war. In 1575, there were 156 townhouses, 28 of which stood in the suburbs. After 1624, 73 of 164 houses were abandoned or burnt down. Moreover, the population of Slavonice was decimated by plaque in 1680-1681. It was not until the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries when the town overcame the consequences of war and subsequent hardships. Yet, not to a full extent. The fire of 27th March 1750 damaged 44 houses and a great part of both squares and the tower. In 1902, railway was built to connect Slavonice and Telc. In the 19th and 20th centuries, parts of the fortification were demolished and the old town hall was replaced with a new one. The sights and landmarks have been reconstructed since the late 1950s. Being so unique, the town was declared an urban heritage site reserve on 31st August 1961.

Physical Address: Mírové námestí Slavonice, Czech Republic Description of Postcard Location: Peace Square -Slavonice Related Web Site: Not listed Parking Coordinates: Not Listed

Visit Instructions:
To log a Visit, please make every effort to supply an image of yourself at the site. The standard GPS photo may be used as well, or even just an image that you took when you visited the location. If you do not have the option to provide an image, please provide a detailed description of your visit so we can form a 'mental image'

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.