Excursions

 

2. Excursions for individuals and groups

 

The hills in this area contained considerable amounts of (precious) metals like gold, silver and antimony. Already in Middle Ages people were exploiting these metals and as a consequence Bohemia became famous by the rich medieval towns. The inhabitants could earn their living not only on base of agriculture, forestry and manufacturing, but also of early industry, namely the production of metals. When these metal products consisted out of golden coins, the inhabitants could gather a lot of value. Not always for the benefit of nice cities. Often to much this value was robbed by Austrian, German or Swedish armies. The richness of nature together with the economical prosperity in the past, make the region very worthwhile to visit. For example by the following excursions:

Mining history

Nature and people

Landscape and wild life

Rural history

You can participate in this excursions as a group or as an individual visitor.

 

2.1 Excursions for groups

Group excursions are based on a weekly? schedule from Saturday till the next Saturday in the month?s July and August:

- Arrival on Saturday

- On Sunday first exploration of the area by minibus

- Four days for excursions with guides and interpretors

- One day for rest or for another activity: rafting on the river Vltava near Veltrusy or a boat trip on the river Luznice near Tabor

- The last Saturday for shopping and departure

These group tours can be organised when at least eight persons are participating, because of the efforts for guidance, interpretation and transportation. For the groups service is arranged: all the lodging (bed, breakfast, lunch, dinner) and all the transport which is necessary for walking or cycling the designed routes.

Excursion 1: Mining history

As a result of tectonic strike slip faults millions of years ago, mineral contenting rocks occurred directly beneath the surface of Pribam hills, especially lead and silver. Already from early middle ages, Pribram mines exploited these metals. In the beginning quite simple: dug a corridor in the mountain and start winning. Later they exploited the deeper layers by drilling pits in the corridor and created new corridors on a lower level.

In the end of mining, the deepest Prokop's Mine had more then 40 levels and a depth of 1600 meters in the year 1966. During the peak production in the nineteenth century the Pribram mines covered nearly 95 percent of the demand for silver in he whole Habsburg Empire.

The excursion brings you to the complex of the mining museums in Pribram, where you can see in the Anna Mine how the energy demand of the mine in the eighteenth century was based on a water system in a time there was no steam or electricity power. A little mine train drives you to the Prokop-pit where the silver was brought to the surface.

The excursion ends in the gold museum of the village Novy Knin, where the exhibition shows the layers with gold in minerals. Also the laws are reported, which permitted the gold mining or not in different periods.

Excursion 2: Nature and people

The woods and fields along the Vltava are an excellent habitat for a various and diversified nature. Taking in account a broad range of predators - birds (buzzards, hawks, harriers, owls) as well as mammals (foxes, badgers, racoons) - the whole food chain in this environment seems to be in a quite good shape. But urbanisation and nature have conflicting interests. Many are the victims among predator birds on electricity wires and among foxes and badgers by traffic and shooting.

The excursion brings you to the 'Safety house' or animal clinic in Votice: 'the city approach' where wounded or abandoned animals are cared. This safety house is able to bring back 65 percent of the animal victims to the nature. For the remaining 35 percent the house is looking for solutions, but their perspectives are limited: mostly these animals stay in their cage as in a zoo.

An other human interference with nature is 'the rural approach', based on the Czech hunting tradition. Places where pheasants, ducks or deer's are fed and where ponds are constructed for the breeding of fish are frequent. As a result there are many animals not only for shooting, but also as prey for predators. Walking though the landscape you will be shown the feeding places and the amounts of animals around.

Excursion 3: Landscape and wild life

Two different parts of the region the forests along the borders of the river Vltava and the half-open landscape around Dublovice contains various wildlife. Unless the land is covered with corn in which the animals can hide, you can spot big amounts of deers and hares. But always the buzzards, harriers and falcons can be seen. Under the guidance of ecologists you will explore this territory. The length of this excursion is approximately ten kilometres.

Excursion 4: Rural history

In the open air museum in Vysoky Chlumec you can experience how the country people in earlier days were living and working: the farms with different sections for living, keeping the cattle and for processing the animal products like milk, meat and wool. Remarkable is the use of huge amounts of timber and stone because these materials were abundant in the neighbourhood.

Afterwards you visit some modern farms to compare the old and new ways of farming.. One alternative goat farm has an extended food chain on the own yard: making fodder, keeping the animals as such and processing the milk into dairy products

2.2 Excursions for individual participants

As a individual you choose that excursion you wish to participate in, as well as the amount of days you think that is suitable for your holiday. The organisation has reserved lodging for one day, when you participate in one day excursion. The costs for guides and interpreters are for individuals relatively higher. The definitive implementation of the holiday can be arranged with the organisation.

Order excursion

The Low Lands were rich because of the trade in hides, wool and wheat, the Czechs because of the exploitation of mines (silver, lead, gold). Both regions had to struggle with other countries, who were eager to take a certain share in the wealth. Spain and French occupied with alternate success the Low Lands, because the northern Netherlands had their own republic in the seventeenth century. The Czechs had continuously troubles with foreign rulers: Germany, Sweden and Austria even stayed till 1918.

However, nowadays the both regions are still prosperous: the Low Lands among the Western-European economies, the Czechs among the Central European countries. Remarkable is the present position of Prague as a new central economic hub within the European Union concerning the trade between Germany and Eastern Europe (Ukraine and White Russia).

Still the Low Lands and the Czechs have comparable features. Both regions need for their good functioning economies not only extended territories for production, trade and services, but also large cities and an intensive infrastructure of roads, railways, cables and electricity lines. And both face the disadvantages of a strong economy: pollution, emissions of gasses, declining biodiversity, traffic jams and accidents. ?

In spite of the great amount of similarities, the differences between Low Lands and the Czechs are considerable. Not only because of the geographical positions as coast country opposite mountain area, but also because of completely different culture. Searching for a new balance between urbanisation and ecology, the Czechs create specific other solutions then the people in the West. For the people who are interested in the way a new member of the European Union like the Czechs are dealing with conflicting interests of urbanisation, infrastructure and ecology, the travel agency Bohemia?s Best is organising a range of excursions in the Czech cities and landscape. Biological, geographical, historical and political

observations during these excursions will be collected and evaluated by Czech institutes

1. Prague

Actually, the city of Prague is a huge open air museum of architecture. Prague has more then thousand by UNESCO protected buildings from early Roman style and Baroque till Classicism and Modern Art. Prague was referred for the first time in the ninth century and has developed out of four little cities: Old Town, New Town, Hradcany and Lesser Town (this compared with the big Castle in Hradcany). Prague was the prosperous, central trade city as a capital of rulers and because of the traffic via the bridge over the Vltava river.

The excursion leads you along a beautiful selection of buildings with a special stress on the ?Prague Look?, the Gothic constructions like Saint Maria Church, Saint Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge and Old Town Hall.

Pictures: still to select

2. Mining history

As a result of tectonic strike slip faults millions of years ago, metals containing rocks occurred directly beneath the surface of Pribam hills, especially lead and silver. Already from early middle ages, Pribram mines exploit these metals. In the beginning quite simple: dug a corridor in the mountain and start mining. Later they exploited the deeper layers by drilling pits in the corridor and create new corridors on a lower level. In the end in the year 1966 the deepest mine, the Prokop Mine - had more then 40 levels and a depth of 1600 meter. During the peak production in the nineteenth century the Pribram mines covered nearly 95 percent of the demand for silver in he whole Habsburg empire.

The excursion brings you to the complex of the mining museums in Pribram, where you can see in the Anna Mine how the energy demand of the mine in the eighteenth century was based on a water system in a time there was no steam or electricity power. A little mine train drives you to the Prokop-pit where the silver was brought to the surface. The excursion ends in the gold museum of the village Novy Knin, where you will be taught how to find gold in the various stones. ?

3. Nature and people

The woods and fields along the Vltava are an excellent habitat for a various and diversified nature. Taking in account a broad range of predators - birds (buzzards, hawks, harriers, owls, even a stray sea-eagle) as well as mammals (lynxes, badgers, racoons) - the whole food chain in this environment seems to be in a quite good shape. But urbanisation and nature have conflicting interests. Many are the victims among birds of prey by electrocution on electricity lines and among foxes and badgers by traffic and shooting. However, also city people need the presence of nature for recreation, vacations or healthy air.

The excursion brings you to the 'Safety house' or animal clinic in Votice, where 'the city approach' is practiced: wounded or abandoned animals are here cared and recovered. This safety house is able to bring back 65 percent of the animal victims to the nature. For the remaining 35 percent the house is looking for a suitable solution, but their perspectives are limited: mostly these animals stay in their cage as in a zoo.

Another human intervention with nature is 'the rural approach', based on the Czech hunting tradition. On many places pheasants, ducks or deer?s are fed and ponds are constructed for the breeding of fish. As such of course for the shooting and fishing, but with an additional effect: the presence of a lot of predators who gratefully use the big abundance of fother and prey. Anyway, the wild life still had here always a good habitat, because the farmers cleared their soils from stones by throwing these on big heap along their parcels. On these heaps arose hedges and later even complete trees, where animals can find a shelter. And farmers make deals with hunters: they don't harvest a strip of grain to feed mainly deers' with an additional dinner.

Walking though the landscape you will be shown the hedges and the feeding places and the amounts of the belonged animals.

4. Landscape and bird life

Along the borders of river Vltava you will walk under the guidance of ecologists from Hotel Zrubek to the village of Zvirotice. The length of the tour is approximately only six kilometres, but over a strong hilly countryside. On the border of river water and woods you can find a big variety of animal species: woodpeckers, buzzards, hawks, harriers, deer, and eventually foxes. With the help of a check list you can practice in counting of a) how many and b) of which type of birds you have recognised. Please, take a binocular with you. Values a) and b) will be published on webpage for further evaluation.

Pictures: Aug08 number 34 and 45 still to be added

5. Old Czech cities

The exploitation of metal containing rocks results into a wealthy and prosperous region with many beautiful, old cities. The excursion brings you to Votice, Sedlcany and Pribram.