The Prachov Rocks and their surroundings are a place with a rich history. The beginnings of settlement can be traced back to ancient times—we find evidence of human presence from the New Stone Age here. On the plateau called Starý hrádek, we can observe settlement from the Bronze Age, when a village was established. Finds of bronze brooches originate from this settlement site. Traces of Celtic settlement can also be found here.
An extensive system of fortifications in the rock city dates back to the period of Slavic settlement; the entire landscape was enclosed by a system of ramparts. In some places, traces of extensive fires have been documented, proving the conquest of the rock fortifications. According to the pottery, the fire is dated to the 10th century, a time when the Přemyslid dynasty was consolidating its position in the Bohemian Basin.
In the 12th century, the royal castle of Veliš was founded on a nearby basalt peak, and the Prachov Rocks became part of the Veliš estate. The castle did not remain in the monarch’s possession for long—as early as 1277, it was acquired by the Vítkovci family as compensation for the confiscated Hluboká. They were followed by the Vartenberks, and the castle also briefly belonged to King George of Poděbrady, Oldřich of Rožmberk, the Trčka of Lípa family, and others. At the beginning of the 17th century, the estate was acquired by Albrecht Eusebius von Wallenstein. He made nearby Jčiín the seat of his dominion. According to surviving records, two settlements existed in the Prachov Rocks at that time—Zadní and Přední Moravsko. The village of Prachov did not yet exist; in its place was the settlement of Valy, named after the remains of prehistoric fortifications.
After Wallenstein’s death in 1634 (assassinated in Cheb), the Veliš estate was acquired by Heinrich, Count Schlik, and the Veliš estate became part of the property of this prominent noble family.
The Schliks were originally a burgher family from Cheb. They achieved noble status in 1437, when Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg, and later Albert II of Germany and others, elevated Kaspar Schlik, Chancellor to Emperor Sigismund, to the peerage.
The family grew wealthy in subsequent generations when silver ores were discovered on their estate in Jáchymov. The Schliks founded a mint in Jáchymov, where they struck coins called Joachimsthalers—Jáchymov thalers.
The financial difficulties of the Habsburgs, namely Ferdinand I, forced the monarch as early as 1534, following military action, to limit the Schliks’ influence on coinage. In 1545, the Schliks were forced to cede the right to mine silver to the monarch. This placed them in opposition to the Habsburgs, which culminated in 1620 when they took a leading role in the Bohemian Estates’ Revolt.
After the lost Battle of White Mountain (1620), Joachim Andreas von Schlick, as one of the leaders, was executed in 1621 on Old Town Square, the first of the twenty-seven Bohemian lords.
Heinrich Schlik, his cousin and a colonel, commanded a regiment of Moravians at the Battle of White Mountain. The victorious Imperial forces captured Heinrich Schlik, but unlike his cousin, they offered him service at the Imperial court as a professional soldier, provided he ceased defending Protestant interests. Heinrich Schlik converted to Catholicism, rose to the rank of General, and became President of the Court War Council. He received the Veliš estate, including the Prachov Rocks, in 1637 as payment for his service.
The Prachov Rocks also became part of the Austrian military fortifications in 1866, when, according to Austrian plans, a decisive battle was to be fought here. However, the Prussian army advanced faster than the Austrian commanders anticipated. On June 29, 1866, the first clashes occurred, but the Austrian command was completely disoriented and unprepared. After several hours of fighting, an order to retreat was delivered to the Austrian troops, but it did not reach all units. Part of the army withdrew, while the rest were crushed at lost fortifications defended in vain.
The memory of this unfortunate battle is preserved by a number of local names (the Vražda [Murder] pond, the Na zabitých [Place of the Slain] field) and small monuments in Prachov, Horní Lochov, Jinolice, Kněžnice, and elsewhere.
