Educational Trail ‘Around the Palace Pond’ in Lipová Reveals Hidden Gems of Nature
The palace pond, with a surface area of 11.5 hectares, which even accommodates a little island, was created after the 1680 peasant uprising, at a time at which Lipová (then Hanšpach) Manor was owned by Johann Georg Slawata. After the peasants had failed to take the palace, and their leaders were executed for insurrection, they were forced to build the pond as a token of their submission and willingness to make amends.
Over the many years that have since passed, the pond and its surroundings have become home to a plethora of intriguing plant and animal species. “The most attractive among them is probably the European beaver, who you might call a well-established pond-side inhabitant. One of the stations along the trail shows visitors the beaver’s lodge and dam, with examples of gnawed-off trees,” says Filip Holič, member of the local ČSOP chapter associated with the Šluknov Forestry School and co-creator of the trail. Ardent visitors, he says, may well be lucky and spot the industrious rodent in action. In any case, there is much to see: various duck species out on the water, the osprey above the water, and the little ringed plover on the shoreline. Lovers of flora will be excited to encounter, e.g. marsh calla and white waterlily.
The educational trail “Around the Palace Pond” is 2.4 km long and features seven stations. The info panels, with the exception of those at the entry to the trail, discuss invertebrates, fish, plants, alder carrs, and rodents. At two resting places along the way, the weary wanderer may sit down and take in the atmosphere; further refreshment is provided by Grandpa’s Fountain, a restored well. The trail has been marked in both directions – to and from the embankment of the pond and the “U pytláka” restaurant.
This is already the 88th site unlocked by the NET4GAS Closer to Nature programme, through which NET4GAS has been supporting conservationist projects for the past twelve years and counting.
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