Budeč, Medieval castle in Kováry, Czech Republic.
Budeč is a hillfort on high ground in Kováry, roughly 28 miles (45 kilometers) northwest of Prague. The site spreads over a wide area with visible earthen ramparts, ditches, and the foundation walls of an early church.
The hillfort was founded in the 9th century as one of the earliest princely seats of the Přemyslid family. The church was built shortly before the year 900 and remained in use until the 11th century, when the fort lost its importance.
The name of this site comes from Slavic settlers who chose the hill as a place of refuge. Visitors today can see Romanesque wall sections that show how early Christians built their churches within fortifications.
Paths cross open terrain and follow parts of the old fortification lines, making it easy to understand the scale of the fort. A walk around takes about an hour and requires sturdy shoes, as some sections pass over grass and uneven ground.
Archaeologists have found remains of wooden structures in the ramparts, showing that parts of the defenses consisted of timber palisades. This construction method was typical of Slavic forts in the early Middle Ages and differed clearly from later stone castles.
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