Bike Trip Around the Austerlitz Battlefield - Circuit from Tvarožná

This circular bike trip begins in the center of Tvarožná. You'll start by following the cycle path southward, passing by the decorative neo-Gothic architecture of St. Nicholas Church. Just before reaching the village of Blažovice, you'll notice the sculpture 'Encounter' by the artist Daniel Klos on your left.

In the building with house number 19, there used to be a blacksmith's workshop, and it was here where the French soldiers had their horses shod. The house across the road (number 41) has cannonballs from the battle embedded in its facade. In the vicinity, near the nearby „v Úlehlích“ cross, lies one of the unmarked mass graves from the battle.

On the bell tower dating from 1831-1832, notice two memorial plaques dedicated to French soldiers and their commanders. One is dedicated to the commander of the French 13th Light Regiment, Pierre Castex, and the other to the commander of the Mounted Chasseurs of the Imperial Guard, Colonel Jean Pierre Morland.

Staré vinohrady
The hill on your left as you journey from Blažovice to Prace was the site of crucial clashes during the battle. This is where the Russian and French Imperial Guard encountered.

You will ascent from the village Prace to Pracký kopec (Pracký hill), where Cairn of Peace Memorial has stood since 1912. 

This peaceful memorial dominates the Pratzen Heights (pratecké návrší), symbolizing Napoleon's triumph. It was precisely on this hill where the outcome of the battle was decided and where the most intense confrontations with the highest casualties of all the armies occurred.

This is a historically unique war memorial with a message of peace. The cairn, in the form of a four-sided pyramid, is not dedicated to heroic victors or valiant vanquished, but was erected in honour of all the victims of the legendary battle. At the heart of this Art Nouveau monument lies a unique chapel housing an ossuary. To this day, it serves as a resting place for the remains of those found on the Austerlitz battlefield.

In the neighbouring museum, you can explore the multimedia exhibition "Battle of the Three Emperors - Slavkov/Austerlitz 1805". Unfortunately, the café is currently undergoing renovations.
From the Cairn of Peace, the route continues southwest to the village of Žatčany, where it turns northward towards Telnice. The defence of the French forces in Telnice was concentrated around the Church of St. John the Baptist (sv. Jana Křtitele). Positions for cannons are visible in the church wall, and cannonballs are set into the tower. Napoleon spent the night at the parish office before the battle.

After two and a half kilometers, you will arrive at Sokolnice Castle. Fierce battles took place there, and it was severely damaged and burned down during the battle. In 1848, it was reconstructed in the Neo-Renaissance style and today serves as a retirement home. Along the castle park and pheasant breeding grounds, you will reach the village of Kobylnice. Ride through the village and continue northeast to Ponětovice, from where it's just another two kilometers to the center of Šlapanice. Don't forget to visit the Museum in Šlapanice in the former scholastery building, where both the Allied army staff and later Marshal Soult's French IV Corps staff stayed at certain times during the battle. In the originally Gothic, later Baroque-renovated Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, captured Allied soldiers were gathered after the battle.

On the corner of Brněnská and Riegrova streets, take note of the monument to Jean Dominique Larrey, the chief surgeon of the French army, and all the doctors who treated the wounded in the battle.

The building of the original castle, now a gymnasium, served as a French field hospital during the battle.

On your way back to Tvarožná, you'll see, on your right, a hill with a small chapel -  Santon. Originally, the hill was called Padělek. The French soldiers gave it a new name in 1805. It probably reminded them of similar hills in Egypt. Recognizing its excellent defensive position for the left flank, Napoleon personally chose it a few days before the battle. In the field below Santon, between the hill and the access road from Brno, a re-enactment part of the battle is held every year in early December.