Discover Dřevčice: Fortress, Church and Archaeological Traces

Dřevčice Between History and Landscape

Dřevčice lies on a raised terrace where the Prague Plateau transitions into the Elbe Lowland. Road II/610 runs through the centre and connects Prague-Vinoř with Brandýs nad Labem.

Church, Bell Tower and Fortress

The originally Romanesque Church of St Bartholomew in Dřevčice dates from the 11th to 12th century. A Gothic extension was added to its southern side, and a new chancel was built in the 18th century. The Dřevčice bell tower was built in 1695 on the site of an earlier chapel dedicated to St Florian and houses three bells. The church is older than the fortress, whose origins date back to the 14th century. The bell tower was added in 1695.

The originally episcopal Dřevčice fortress was built in the 14th century on a spur and protected by a water fortification. The surviving parts of the fortress are open to the public; various events and celebrations are held there. Other visible historical traces include the Baroque portals of Dřevčice, dating from 1776. They form the entrances to farmsteads that emerged when the estate farm at the original fortress was divided.

Archaeological Traces near Dřevčice

The Dřevčice–Na Výsluní archaeological site lies on the southeastern edge of Dřevčice, next to the road to Svémyslice and the adjacent cemetery. A total of 95 archaeological features with settlement and funerary characteristics were discovered and examined there. The archaeological investigation also uncovered a significant cremation burial ground from the Late Bronze Age, attributed to the Knovíz culture of the Urnfield period, dating from 1350 to 1050 BC. The archaeological evidence also extends back to the Late Bronze Age.

Another notable find is the so-called “Dřevčický příbor”, a ceramic assemblage. It was found on 24 December 1932 while a ditch was being dug along the road from Dřevčice to Popovice. It is now housed in the National Museum and is considered, among other things, evidence of a ritual associated with drinking beverages.

Valley, Pilgrimage Route and Travel Planning

About 250 metres north of the main road running through Dřevčice, the terrain descends into the broad valley known as “v Chobotech”. The Vinořský potok, which flows from Vinoř, runs through this valley and is also called Valcha or Chobot. The “Pražská pěší pouť do Staré Boleslavi” pilgrimage walking route branches off towards Dřevčice at Jenštejn. The route adds another focus for exploring on foot to the historic buildings. Those wishing to combine culture and landscape can include this focus in their stay planning.

If you are looking for a hotel or other accommodation in Dřevčice, you can base your choice on your preferred interests: the history of the fortress, archaeological discoveries, the local landscape or a hike along the pilgrimage route. For further research in the same wider area, you can also find Klokočná, Kostelec Nad Cernými Lesy, Mirosovice, Březí U Říčan, Celakovice, Lázně Toušeň, Husinec and Sudovo Hlavno.

To the wider travel overview: Okres Praha-Východ.