Bike Trip Around the Austerlitz Battlefield - Circuit from Slavkov

Touring Slavkov Castle and its extensive park will keep you occupied for a good part of the morning. Russian Tsar Alexander I and Austrian Emperor Francis I stayed overnight at the castle before the battle.

After the battle on 3 December, Napoleon delivered his proclamation to the soldiers from the castle's balcony, according to which the battle was, as the Battle of Austerlitz, a victory for Napoleon. He even spent the night at the castle. You can see the bed and the balcony for yourself during the tour.

The route continues south and southwest to the village of Vážany nad Litavou, then onward through Hrušky to Křenovice. In the church of St. Lawrence (kostel sv. Vavřince), captured Russians were gathered after the battle. In a nearby park, a monument in the form of a statue of the Russian general Kutuzov was unveiled on 4 December, 2005, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the battle.

A little way past the village in the direction of Prace, you'll arrive at a place called Krchůvek.  In the battle, 30,000 soldiers died, and most of them were interred in mass grave shafts. This monument stands at the location of one of these graves. From Krchůvek, there is a footpath leading to an observation point in both directions.

Once you've enjoyed the panoramic views, continue on your journey. In the village of Prace, a cross near the pond marks another mass grave shaft, where approximately 800 Russian soldiers are buried. In the center of the village, you'll see the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Kostel Povýšení sv. Kříže). Its tower served as an observatory for Russian troops during the battle in Prace. However, it was hit by French artillery, burned down, and was subsequently demolished after the battle.

From the church, backtrack a short distance and head north to the village of Jiříkovice. The estate on the village square (formerly a fortress) and the bell tower are witnesses to the battles and are the only structures that survived the village's fire. Take a short ride to the northern edge of the village to see an iron cross and a monument dedicated to the victims from the years 1805 - 1809.

The journey continues eastward into the village of Blažovice. In house number 19, there used to be a blacksmith's forge where French soldiers had their horses shod. The house across the road (number 41) has cannonballs from the battle embedded in its façade. Near the close "v Úlehlích" cross, you can find one of the many unmarked mass graves from the battle.

The route continues along the railway tracks to Holubice, where another memorial to the battles stands in the form of the Chapel of St. Gotthard. Through Velešovice, you have the final 8 km back to Slavkov. The path initially follows the Rakovec stream, and from Velešovice, part of the route leads along field paths.

If you still have energy left, in Slavkov, you can climb the Stations of the Cross with the Chapel of St. Urban at the summit. It served as a guard post for the French units. On 28 November, a cannon shot was fired here to announce the advance of Allied forces from Olomouc, and French troops then withdrew to the Zlatý Potok line, from where they entered the battle on December 2.
After the ascent you can easily recharge at one of the gastronomic establishments in Slavkov. You can try sweet shop - cukrárna Styl on Palackého Square.