Střezetice: Monuments and Trails at the 1866 Battlefield

Střezetice takes you into the history of the historic battlefield of Hradec Králové and connects memorial sites with routes for cyclists and hikers. This gives the town concrete points of interest for a trip with varied interests: you can explore the events of July 3, 1866, choose a cycling route, or continue on foot from Dlouhé Dvory railway station to other sites of the battlefield.

Monuments near Střezetice

Near Střezetice lies the “Pomník jezdecké srážky u Střezetic” on the historic battlefield of Hradec Králové. The monument commemorates soldiers and horses who fell on July 3, 1866, in a clash as part of the Battle of Hradec Králové. It was unveiled on July 2, 2016, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the battle. The memorial site therefore connects remembrance of the historic event with a much later form of commemoration.

Another prominent site is the monument to Alexandr Freiherr von Bethmann. The sandstone pyramid bears an inscribed plaque in Czech and German. It stands about 300 meters east of Střezetice in a group of four monuments in an open field. The history of the site is also part of what makes this memorial site distinctive: the monument was moved from a field to its present location in 1894.

Memorial Sites between Střezetice and Dlouhé Dvory

The “Hroby Obětí války 1866” are also part of the historical orientation. The sandstone pyramid marks the grave of 30 Austrian and Prussian soldiers who fell on July 3, 1866. The memorial site is located southeast of Dlouhé Dvory. This means that there is another concrete connection to the battle not only near Střezetice, but also in the vicinity of the railway station.

The tomb of Edmund von Salemfels commemorates the Austrian first lieutenant Edmund von Salemfels, who belonged to the 9th Uhlan Regiment. The memorial site consists of a polished granite pillar with a bronze coat of arms and stands in front of a matching gravestone. Another monument to Romuald von Dobrucki was moved from a field between Horní Dohalice and Dlouhé Dvory beside the railway line to its present location. Those interested in the history of the battlefield will therefore find different forms of remembrance here: graves, individual tombs, and monuments with a local history.

Cycling and Hiking

Cycle route 4286 toward Všestary runs through Střezetice. Along the way, there is a stop at the “Pomník padlých koní” monument. The route can therefore be combined directly with a historic sightseeing point, without limiting the visit to a single memorial site.

The railway connection serving Střezetice is Dlouhé Dvory railway station; Dlouhé Dvory are administered by the same municipal office. From the station, hikers can follow a yellow-marked trail to Rozběřice and onward to Chlum, the center of the 1866 battlefield. Střezetice and Dlouhé Dvory are also part of an educational trail. When choosing accommodation in Střezetice, this connection is particularly interesting if you do not want to visit historic sites only by car, but also wish to include cycling and hiking routes in your days.

More Destinations for Planning Your Trip

For further research, you can also explore Jílovice, Hněvčeves, Chlumec Nad Cidlinou, Libčany, Stará Voda, Libřice, Holohlavy and Mlékosrby for your trip.

For the higher-level travel overview: Hradec Králové District.