Tri Bubny – Church, History and Fortifications

In the north of the municipality rises the hill of Tři Bubny. On it stands the Gothic cemetery church of St. George, at 302 m above sea level; from the settlement, the view stretches towards the Železné hory. The church stands on the hill; the Železné hory can be seen from the settlement.

The Church and the History of the Settlement

The Church of St. George was first mentioned in a written record in 1349. The name Tři Bubny originally referred to an inn and is recorded on Müller’s map of the Kingdom of Bohemia from 1720. The two dates refer to different things: 1349 is the church’s first written mention; 1720 is the year the place name appears on the map. Tři Bubny is also listed as a significant archaeological site in category ÚAN I. Church history, historical cartography and archaeology thus offer different ways of understanding the place.

Fortifications and Historical Context

The fortifications at Tři Bubny were built in 1778 to defend the settlement and the church on the hill against Prussian troops. The eastern section of the defensive system survives; in 1923, it was designated a natural and historical monument. The two dates mark different stages: its construction for defence and the later designation of the surviving section. A regional history publication from 2009 describes a partially preserved bastion remnant about 500 m south-southwest of the church, west of road III/3583 to Orel and completely obscured by dense vegetation. The condition of the earthwork may change.

The road was later called the “French Road” because Russian and French troops travelled along it during the Napoleonic Wars. The road’s name recalls troop movements; the fortifications, by contrast, represent the defence of the settlement and the church against Prussian troops. These are different military contexts: in one case, troops travelling along a road; in the other, a fortification on the hill.

Cycling Routes and Travel Planning

For cycling plans, a tourism strategy published in 2023 lists two marked cycle routes through Tři Bubny: Route 4177 runs between Kočí and Orel, and Route 4181 between Libanice and Vlčnov. The practical point of comparison is their different pairs of endpoints; Tři Bubny is the shared pass-through point on both routes. Signage and route conditions may change, so check the route before setting out.

When choosing a hotel, you can consider whether the history of the settlement or cycling along the routes mentioned is more important for your stay. The first consideration concerns the settlement’s historical context; for the second, you can check which of the two endpoint pairs mentioned best fits your planned ride.

Discover more destinations: Třemošnice, Třibřichy, Prosec, Bousov, Mladoňovice, Vitanov, Skalice, Tuněchody.

For the broader travel overview: Okres Chrudim.