Yesterday, my girlfriend took me on a day trip to see a monument in a town called Slavkov, which is not far from Brno where we live.
If you aren't familiar with the name Slavkov and you are interested in Napoleon and his famous battles, it will be better known to you as Austerlitz. That was the name it was given when the Czech lands were property of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
I've never stood on or near the sites of any great battles, people I know who have say that the places have an indescribable erieness about them. After yesterday, I'd have to say they're right.
The monument is not to Napoleon or his exploits, but to all the victims, either side who fell in the battle. The monument has a chapel inside it with a tomb filled with bones found in archeological digs around the battle field. It not only housed the remains of soldiers, but also the remains of two women (most likely prostitutes) that were also found in the digs. One of those women is estimated to have had 15 children!
The monument is located on top of Prace Hill, which was the highest point on the battlefield and where Napoleon controlled the battle from.
It was a hazy day yesterday and as I looked across the farms that are the former battlefield I could almost imagine the haze as smoke in the aftermath of the battle.
It was a most different experience than I've ever had in my life. If you ever find yourself in this area of the Czech Republic, I'd certainly recomend a trip out to it.