NET4GAS Closer to Nature: Conservationists Spiff up Hruboskalsko Educational Trail
Most of us will have walked it at some point. Most of us will have vowed to return for a repeat visit, having been touched to the core by the breath-taking scenery. Following the Hruboskalsko educational trail as it snakes its way through the heart of the "Town of Rocks", around the base of sandstone towers, across summits offering imposing vistas, and through deep ravines with stands of beech trees, is a truly unforgettable experience. But the trail, taken by thousands of visitors every year, was bound to reach the end of its service life and require repair. The members of the local "Bukovina" chapter of the Czech Union for Nature Conservation (ČSOP) took charge of a comprehensive refurbishment project, and thanks to the financial support of the NET4GAS Closer to Nature programme, were able to make sure that the educational trail will serve future visitors for years to come.
The Hruboskalsko educational trail is located in one of the most popular areas of what is known as the 'Bohemian Paradise' (Český ráj), in the "Town of Rocks" that forms part of the greater "Hrubá skála" area to the southeast of Turnov. This, the largest sandstone formation in the Bohemian Paradise, known among climbers as The Rock (Skalák), is found in a particularly valuable section of the UNESCO Global Geopark of Bohemian Paradise. The trail begins near Lázně Sedmihorky, whence it rises through the Town of Rocks, passing through the best-known spots within Hruboskalsko to the scenic lookout points atop the rock pillars, before it returns to Sedmihorky. On the 7.5 km circuit, one comes across 16 refurbished educational panels, which again speak to the multitudes of visitors with the aim of sparking their interest in the natural world. And there is plenty to see indeed, judging not only from the omnipresent rock formations, but also from the variety of rare species of plant and animal wildlife that can be found here. Among many others, the Killarney fern, the European cave spider, the lesser horseshoe bat, and the Peregrine falcon (which regularly builds its nests in the rocky towers) are all living testimony to this.
"If you decide to the walk this educational trail, you will see the most interesting nooks and crannies, and experience the rock towers and pillars both at their massive base and from the top, where lookout points offer grand and scenic views. The info panels are a piece of beautiful artwork, embellished with illustrations by academy-trained painter and graphic artist Vlasta Matoušová, providing you with all of the relevant information about the scenery around you," adds Vít Preisler, presiding member of the local "Bukovina" chapter of the ČSOP, whose members completely refurbished all of the signposts, before affixing new panels on which the original artwork has been preserved, while the text has been carefully updated. The walkway, made of cut logs, and the railings were also restored. "We have thus been able to add yet another site to Closer to Nature's garland of spots of interest, as we mark ten years of collaboration between NET4GAS and the ČSOP, bringing the total number to 79 sites," adds Zuzana Kučerová of NET4GAS.
The point of departure of this educational trail is located in Lázně Sedmihorky, approximately one kilometre from the municipality of Sedmihorky (50.5539003N, 15.1960928E).