According to legend, also adopted by Hájek of Libočany in his Czech Chronicle, Lech, brother of Forefather Čech, founded Kouřim in 653. He parted from his brother at Mount Říp and travelled three days with his people. ‘On the third day before the morning star rises, climb Říp. I will make an immense fire in the forest; where you see its blaze and smoke, know that I have settled,’ Hájek relates in rhyme. Lech then began building a town and enclosed it in great ramparts. It was named Kouřim after the dense smoke, kouř. It became the centre of the Slavic Zličan tribe.
Location and map
- Place
- Kouřim
- Municipality / starting point
- Kouřim
- District / region
- Kolín
- Country
- Czechia
- Distance and direction
- 16 km W of Kolína
The link searches for Kouřim and its surroundings. The sources do not establish the precise point of this legend.
Approximate location · municipality or area search. The distance comes from the sources, not a currently calculated route.
Sources of the original atlas Tajemná místa · page 177
This legend preserves a folk tale. Its motifs do not constitute evidence of supernatural events.