The first Christian church in Bohemia.
Levý Hradec is situated on a plateau of a high promontory above the Vltava River and its territory was settled in prehistoric times. At the turn of the 8th century, a Slavic fortified settlement was built here, which probably became the oldest seat of the Přemyslids. Prince Bořivoj I, the first historically documented Czech prince of the Přemyslid dynasty, founded the first known Christian church in Bohemia here in the 9th century.
The baroqueized Gothic church of St. Kliment stands on its place today. At the end of the 9th century, the Přemyslids transferred their residence to Prague Castle, but Levý Hradec remained an important administrative center of the Přemyslid state until the 13th century. Its privileged position was confirmed by the election of Vojtěch Slavník the second Prague bishop; he was elected in 982 in the local church. Extensive archaeological research in 1939–1955 revealed, among other things, the remains of massive walls and buildings.
The nature trail reminds us of the importance of this place.
Photo source: theavoae (CC BY 2.0), Ondřej Pospíšil (CC BY-SA 2.0)
