The Battle of White Mountain

The Thirty Years War began at Prague Castle when Hussites threw the administrators of the newly elected Catholic king out the window. The pair fell some thirty meters only to miraculously survive by landing in a dung heap. This event sparked a war that raged throughout the continent. The exact reasons for fighting varied by area, but the Second Defenestration of Prague as it is called (because Bohemians have thrown people out of windows on more than one occasion throughout their history) was the spark that ignited it all.

As its name suggests, the war continued on for decades, but for Bohemia it ended in this field two years later:

This unassuming field of rapeseed is the battlefield at Bila Hora--in English, White Mountain. Looking at it one would never know that this is the spot where the 15,000 man strong Bohemian army was destroyed, bringing the area squarely under the control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for centuries to come.

My history major self is ashamed to admit that it took months of living here before I put two and two together on this one. I would pass the tram to Bila Hora almost daily and mentally translate the name. I have no idea why it took so long for something to click in my head and made me think, "Bila Hora. White Mountain. Wait a minute! That has got to be where the battle of White Mountain was fought".

Since then I have been meaning to go up there and check it out, but I did not get around to it until yesterday. There really isn't much up there aside from the field, monument, and a church that was constructed to honor the dead. I enjoyed seeing it because of my love for history and the impact that this field had on the Czech people. However, if you aren't really into history this probably isn't the thing for you.

To get there take the 22 tram to its terminus at Bila Hora. Behind the tram stop is a giant yellow church. Take the path to the right of the church. When you get to the road beyond the church turn right. The battlefield is about 100 meters up on the left.