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Two more peatland sceneries
Apart from the peatland Chalupská slať I wrote about some time ago, we visited two more peatland areas in that part of Šumava – Jezerní slať (Lake peatland) and Tříjezerní slať (Triple lake peatland). Both of them are also part of the first zone of nature protection of the Šumava National Park. Jezerní slať (Lake peatland) was designated a nature reserve in 1933. Its name comes from a lake which has been overgrown with peat moss. When you arrive there and follow a nature trail, soon you come to an observation tower which enables you to see far behind tops of surrounding trees. The area of the peatland spreads over…
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Trip from Modrava
I’d like to get back to those few days we spent in Šumava this summer. We were staying in a camp, going on trips and for one day we planned a trip from Modrava to our camp. We had to go by bus just a few kilometres and then follow a marked track. When we were getting off the bus, it was already drizzling and we needed to take on our raincoats. Well, I don’t mind walking in rain, but our cameras had to stay in our bags and I regretted that so much. On the one hand I felt really annoyed and on the other I tried to persuade…
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Taking a stroll
Temperatures are supposed to be falling significantly next weekend, it’s time to exchange summer tyres for winter ones. This morning I had an appointment at a garage in a near town where they did the exchange for me. I had to wait until it was finished so when I was thinking of what I was going to do during that time, I decided to take a camera with me and just stroll a bit. I headed for the part of the town where town people living in blocks of flats have their gardens, the area is located by a river. While walking along the river’s bank I came across a…
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Peatland Chalupská slať
In summer we spent a few days in Šumava (which you may know as the Bohemian Forest) where we wanted to visit and explore its southern part. One of our trips lead us to a remarkable place of peatland named Chalupská slať. The peatland area is represented by 137 hectares and altitude of 950 m. There are peat reserves amounting to 2 340 000 cubic metres. When you come to the area, there is a small parking lot where you’ll leave your car and continue on foot following a marked path. You’ll come to a raised boardwalk of a nature trail which will take you into quite a different environment.…
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Benedictine monastery at Kladruby
On our way back from Bečov nad Teplou we briefly stopped in a monastery in Kladruby to have a look around and see what’s changed there. The monastery is a magnificent cluster of buildings but when we visited the place a few years ago, for me it was quite a sad view of battered walls and facades. This time I was pleased to see great improvement, it’s obvious that a lot of work had been done and a lot of money spent to preserve these historical buildings. I’ve taken a few photos but mostly details as when you stand close to a huge building there is little chance to squeeze…
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Bečov nad Teplou – castle, palace and chateau in one
There are not many places where you could find a Gothic castle, Renaissance palace and Baroque chateau as parts of one complex but I can show you one. If you come to Bečov nad Teplou, a wonderful view of such a complex surrounded by deep forests will open in front of you. First reliable information on the castle’s existence comes from 1349 when it was unequivocally documented in a charter. To a considerable extent, period decoration and many building features have been preserved as well as the medieval look of the castle. The chateau was built much later, at the beginning of the 18th century. After the WWII, when Beauforts…
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Bečov nad Teplou
This time I’ll take you to Bečov nad Teplou, a town whose name I’d translate for you as Bečov upon Teplá. We found out that there is a castle we hadn’t known about and went to see it. When we came to the town, I was surprised by its atmosphere, it looked good. Deep woods, a picturesque castle, pieces of metal plastic art displayed in the streets and reminding blacksmith symposiums having taken place during previous years. While we were passing by the first houses, we saw the following flower which immediately caught my attention. Later I was trying to identify it with the help of on-line field guides but…
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Minor localities of major importance
Full of impressions experienced during our trip to Kladská we were exploring maps of the area to find more destinations of our future outings. So it happened that during the next weekend we visited the following places, quite small areas but all parts of nature reserves. Locality No. 1: THREE CROSSES The name of the locality comes from the crosses which were put up in the place in 1859, reportedly as thanksgiving for the curing of ill brothers. No details known. The importance of the locality consists in its unique flora whose occurrence there results from two conditions. Firstly and essentially it is the underlying rock serpentine – soil covering…
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Metal art in Bezdružice
To change the topics dealing with castles and nature reserves for a while, I’ve searched my archives and found a few older photos I’d like to share. A castle plays a role here but not the lead one. I have to go back, to August 2008, when my husband was too busy at work and I spent my holiday going on daily trips with our children. One of the outings headed for the castle in Bezdružice, a city which I found a bit lost and dull at the time. I parked the car and we went up to the castle. It’s quite a nice building… and when we reached the…
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Kladská
As I’ve already written, some time ago we were looking for an interesting destination of our weekend trip and while browsing the Internet, our eyes fell on a description of a nature trail “Kladská”. We liked the description and went there. The nature trail starts as well as ends in Kladská. Kladská is a village where you can find just a few buildings but their history – although not very long – is quite interesting. In 1873, the prince Otto Friedrich Schönburg-Waldenburg bought a woody area in this region and liked it so much that he started to build a village – a hunting castle with outbuildings, gamekeeper’s lodge, revenue…
