{"id":35337,"date":"2025-04-10T16:33:01","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T15:33:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/2025\/04\/jachymov-po-stopach-mlynu-a-mlynku\/"},"modified":"2025-04-15T17:43:52","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T16:43:52","slug":"jachymov-following-the-mills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/2025\/04\/jachymov-following-the-mills\/","title":{"rendered":"J\u00e1chymov: following the mills"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/h2>\n

WEST BOHEMIAN SPA<\/h2>\n

West Bohemia is traditionally considered an area famous primarily for its spas. And for a\u00a0good reason; the\u00a0number of\u00a0various mineral springs and gases and the\u00a0variety of\u00a0their chemical composition provide ideal conditions for balneology. The\u00a0number of\u00a0springs reaching several hundred makes this region completely unique on a\u00a0European scale. By combining not only thermal waters, high-quality medical facilities and glorious promenades, but also beautiful countryside inviting for walks and a\u00a0wide range of\u00a0sports activities, West Bohemian spas encourage the\u00a0patients\u2019 physical and mental healing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0most famous of\u00a0the\u00a0West Bohemian spa towns are, of\u00a0course, the\u00a0classic trio of\u00a0Karlovy Vary (Fig.\u00a01<\/span><\/em>), founded in\u00a0the\u00a014th century, Mari\u00e1nsk\u00e9 L\u00e1zn\u011b on the\u00a0edge of\u00a0Slavkov Forest, and the\u00a0classicist Franti\u0161kovy L\u00e1zn\u011b. Together with several other European spas, they were inscribed on the\u00a0UNESCO World Heritage List under the\u00a0title The\u00a0Great Spa Towns of\u00a0Europe. From their very beginnings, these three towns participated in\u00a0the\u00a0building and shaping of\u00a0the\u00a0Czech spa phenomenon, which then fundamentally influenced the\u00a0history and social image of\u00a0the\u00a0surrounding European countries.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the\u00a0list does not end with this famous triangle. In\u00a0the\u00a0vicinity there are, for example, the\u00a0\u201cclimatic\u201d Kyn\u017evart spa or the\u00a0newly reconstructed Kyselka spa. The\u00a0Korunn\u00ed spa, once famous for its mineral water, has unfortunately disappeared.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h6>\n
Fig.\u00a01. The\u00a0Tepl\u00e1 river in\u00a0Karlovy Vary; it flows into the\u00a0Oh\u0159e by Ostrovsk\u00fd bridge<\/span><\/h6>\n

J\u00c1CHYMOV<\/h2>\n

J\u00e1chymov occupies a\u00a0unique place in\u00a0this spa area. This historic town near Karlovy Vary is located close to the\u00a0border with Germany \u2013 the\u00a0border crossing at Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar is within\u00a0a\u00a0pleasant walking distance of\u00a0seven kilometres. Although J\u00e1chymov has always been part of\u00a0the\u00a0Kingdom of\u00a0Bohemia, most of\u00a0its cultural history is connected with the\u00a0German population and many German names and inscriptions remain\u00a0on houses, maps, and the\u00a0local cemetery to this day. The\u00a0founder of\u00a0the\u00a0city was Count Stephan Schlick (known in\u00a0Czech as \u0160t\u011bp\u00e1n \u0160lik) from the\u00a0famous noble family of\u00a0Schlick.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0great cultural and social flourishing of\u00a0J\u00e1chymov was related to the\u00a0local \u201csilver rush\u201d in\u00a0the\u00a016th century, when the\u00a0first Lutheran church in\u00a0our country was built here \u2013 the\u00a0Church of\u00a0St. Joachim (Fig.\u00a02<\/span><\/em>). The\u00a0famous parish priest Johannes Mathesius (1504\u20131565), a\u00a0disciple of\u00a0Martin\u00a0Luther, with whom he studied in\u00a0Nuremberg, worked there; at that time, J\u00e1chymov was the\u00a0second most populous town in\u00a0the\u00a0Kingdom of\u00a0Bohemia. Its historic centre, consisting of\u00a0a\u00a0collection of\u00a0Gothic-Renaissance patrician houses, is today an urban monument zone.<\/span><\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Fig.\u00a02. Late Gothic Church of\u00a0St. Joachim<\/h6>\n

J\u00c1CHYMOV STREAMS<\/h2>\n

Fig.\u00a03<\/span><\/em> shows the\u00a0newly renovated Astoria spa house; to its left is the\u00a0J\u00e1chymov Spa Visitor Information Centre, and to the\u00a0far left is U\u00a0Vodop\u00e1du restaurant, frequented by tourists; adjacent to the\u00a0rock massif from behind, it offers unique natural nooks and crannies with many water features. The\u00a0rivers and streams with numerous lakes, pools, and bridges are quite typical for J\u00e1chymov and serve not only for walks by spa guests, but also significantly influence the\u00a0local beneficial climate of\u00a0the\u00a0Ore Mountains foothills (Fig.\u00a04<\/span><\/em>).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h3>\n
Fig.\u00a03. J\u00e1chymov spa centre<\/h6>\n\"\"<\/a>\n
Fig.\u00a04. The\u00a0spa park with a\u00a0footbridge over the\u00a0J\u00e1chymovsk\u00fd stream<\/h6>\n

Given that J\u00e1chymov is currently a\u00a0small town covering an area of about 51\u00a0km2<\/span><\/sup>, where only about 2.400 permanent residents live, it might seem incredible that a total of four streams converge in such a small area. Moreover, it is said that our great-great\u2026grandfathers from the times of the 2nd Military Mapping were confused by the German names of the local streams, so they simply labelled individual tributaries alphabetically (e.g. Weseritz A and Weseritz B) in the sense of \u201csomething flows here, but no one knows what it is called\u201d and did not bother with it any further.<\/span><\/p>\n

In\u00a0any case, today we know that the\u00a0main\u00a0watercourse of\u00a0J\u00e1chymov is the\u00a0J\u00e1chymovsk\u00fd stream (Fig.\u00a05<\/span><\/em>) flowing throughout the\u00a0town and often also under its surface. This is probably one of\u00a0the\u00a0main\u00a0reasons why the\u00a0spa park maintains a\u00a0pleasantly humid climate even in\u00a0the\u00a0height of\u00a0summer and its vegetation thrives so well (Fig.\u00a06<\/span><\/em>). In\u00a0the\u00a0spa centre, (1) Kl\u00ednoveck\u00fd stream flows into J\u00e1chymovsk\u00fd stream; as is already clear from its name Kl\u00ednoveck\u00fd stream originates on the\u00a0slopes of\u00a0Kl\u00ednovec and merges with the\u00a0second local tributary, (2) Vese\u0159ice, roughly below the\u00a0bottom cable car station. A\u00a0tributary of\u00a0the\u00a0Kl\u00ednoveck\u00fd stream is (3) St\u00edsn\u011bn\u00fd stream, which rises in\u00a0the\u00a0bogs near Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar. The\u00a0last local stream is called (4) Such\u00e1 and flows into J\u00e1chymovsk\u00fd stream in\u00a0the\u00a0Valley of\u00a0Mills. J\u00e1chymov stream, enhanced by all these tributaries, then continues through a\u00a0picturesque valley to Ostrov, where it flows into the\u00a0Byst\u0159ice river.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h6>\n
Fig.\u00a05. J\u00e1chymovsk\u00fd stream<\/h6>\n\"\"<\/a>\n
Fig.\u00a06. Spa park<\/h6>\n

FOLLOWING THE MILLS<\/h2>\n

J\u00e1chymov is nestled in\u00a0the\u00a0middle of\u00a0forests, and thus invites to walks and trips. There are many walking trails, well-marked according to length and level of\u00a0difficulty, so there is something for everybody. Of\u00a0the\u00a0more interesting ones, it is worth mentioning the\u00a0local nature trail About Radon and the\u00a0nature trail J\u00e1chymov Hell. Their focus is certainly evident from their names (Author\u2019s\u00a0note: you can read more about radon treatment and Svornost mine in\u00a0one of\u00a0the\u00a0next VTEI issues<\/span>).<\/p>\n

VALLEY OF MILLS<\/h2>\n

There are two tourist trails that start directly in\u00a0the\u00a0spa centre of\u00a0J\u00e1chymov and lead through the\u00a0beautiful valley of\u00a0J\u00e1chymovsk\u00fd stream, depending on the\u00a0level of\u00a0difficulty. The\u00a0shorter and easier one is called the\u00a0Valley of\u00a0Mills (\u00dadol\u00ed ml\u00fdnk\u016f) and leads from the\u00a0entrance to the\u00a0largest spa building, Radium Palace, towards the\u00a0local sports centre with its tennis courts, and continues along a\u00a0forest path for about one kilometre to the\u00a0stream (Fig.\u00a07<\/span><\/em>). It is lined with about 60\u00a0hand-made mills of\u00a0various ages, from top to bottom \u2013 some are wooden, others metal or\u00a0plastic (Fig.\u00a08<\/span><\/em>). Sometimes the\u00a0mills even depict specific local objects, such as the\u00a0Chapel of\u00a0St. Anne or the\u00a0mining tower of\u00a0Svornost mine.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h6>\n
Fig.\u00a07. A\u00a0forest path invites to relaxing activities<\/h6>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/h6>\n
Fig.\u00a08. The\u00a0Walley of\u00a0Mills is a\u00a0J\u00e1chymov rarity<\/h6>\n

Apart from the\u00a0spa guests, the\u00a0trail is especially popular with families with children. The\u00a0sight of\u00a0young parents taking hammers, screwdrivers, and other tools out of\u00a0their backpacks to repair a\u00a0broken mill or make a\u00a0new one is typical here, and very refreshing.<\/span><\/p>\n

MILL TRAIL<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0second trail also starts at the\u00a0tennis courts, but is more time consuming and physically demanding. It is called the\u00a0Mill Trail (Ml\u00fdnsk\u00e1 stezka, sometimes also Severin\u2019s\u00a0Promenade; Fig.\u00a09<\/span><\/em>) and leads through the\u00a0picturesque Mill Valley between J\u00e1chymov and Ostrov (Author\u2019s\u00a0note: also known as Ostrov nad Oh\u0159\u00ed<\/span>). This area served as a\u00a0manufacturing base for the\u00a0town of\u00a0J\u00e1chymov from the\u00a0time immemorial. The\u00a0trail\u2019s\u00a0name is related to the\u00a0mill development along J\u00e1chymovsk\u00fd stream. The\u00a0first important period of\u00a0this area was, as already mentioned, the\u00a016th with its silver mining; the\u00a0spread of\u00a0water wheels significantly contributed to increasing the\u00a0efficiency of\u00a0various manufacturing processes, such as papermaking. The\u00a0second glorious era came in\u00a0the\u00a019th century thanks to the\u00a0rise of\u00a0industry, the\u00a0widespread use of\u00a0electricity, and the\u00a0invention of\u00a0water turbines.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h6>\n
Fig.\u00a09. The\u00a0Mill Trail offers beautiful forest nooks and views of\u00a0the\u00a0surrounding landscape<\/span><\/h6>\n

This romantic forest path, leading along a\u00a0cascade of\u00a0historical waterworks, used to have the\u00a0German name Roseggerweg; it then almost fell into oblivion. It was only in\u00a0the\u00a0last hundred years, thanks to the\u00a0development of\u00a0spa tourism in\u00a0the\u00a0area, that the\u00a0trail was revived. The\u00a0modern projects \u201cLand of\u00a0Living Waters I<\/em>\u201d<\/span> and \u201cLand of\u00a0Living Waters II<\/em>\u201d<\/span>, implemented by the\u00a0civic association \u201cLocal Action Groups of\u00a0the\u00a0Ore Mountains West\u201d, also contributed significantly to this. Their main\u00a0goal was to actively involve residents in\u00a0the\u00a0restoration of\u00a0nature trails and all the\u00a0water facilities \u2013 water wheels and mills, mineral springs, streams, wells \u2013 as part of\u00a0rural development and the\u00a0restoration of\u00a0cultural and natural heritage, which would significantly increase the\u00a0quality of\u00a0the\u00a0environment and the\u00a0attractiveness of\u00a0rural areas, and thus support the\u00a0economic situation of\u00a0this region.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Mill Trail has become a very popular tourist route, with many resting places. These include Mou\u010dn\u00fd Mill and Pansk\u00fd Mill (both on the site of today\u2019s Radium Palace Hotel), Mader\u016fv Mill, which, in addition to flour milling, also had the privilege of brewing beer, the Drainage Tunnel, which still drains water from J\u00e1chymov mines, and Petter\u016fv\/Petr\u016fv Mill, once the most productive of all the mills in the area. Its establishment dates back to 1532 and, in addition to traditional milling activities, it also housed a sawmill. It also had a beer brewing privilege. It is the oldest preserved water mill in the Czech Republic; the remains of its historical masonry and the mill drive can still be found in the forest. Other mills on the route included Horn\u00ed Spekner\u016fv (originally an iron hammer mill, then a grain mill and later a sawmill; today the new owner is fighting to save it, having built a small hydroelectric power plant here), Trinks\u016fv Mill (also known as Upper Paper Mill), on whose site U Vl\u010dk\u016f restaurant currently stands, and Blah\u016fv Mill (Lower Paper Mill), which operated until\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0mid-20th century. Nowadays, it serves as a\u00a0guesthouse. The\u00a0last mill on the\u00a0right bank of\u00a0J\u00e1chymovsk\u00fd stream was Doln\u00ed Spekner\u016fv Mill, just before the\u00a0village of\u00a0Horn\u00ed \u017d\u010f\u00e1r (Author\u2019s\u00a0note: now part of\u00a0the\u00a0town of\u00a0Ostrov<\/span><\/em>). It originally served as an iron hammer mill, later as a\u00a0grain\u00a0mill. From 1919, it was used for electricity production. There are three more resting places before the\u00a0very centre of\u00a0Ostrov: the\u00a0Farm, which used a\u00a0water wheel to power the\u00a0threshing machine, the\u00a0U\u00a0V\u00e1clava Mill, which from 1901 also housed a\u00a0bakery and U\u00a0V\u00e1clava Inn, and finally the\u00a0U\u00a0Semer\u00e1da Mill, also called the\u00a0Flour Mill, because flour was ground here and traditional dark bread was baked.<\/span><\/p>\n

OSTROV<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0Mill Trail with all its resting places leads to Ostrov, a\u00a0town just ten kilometres from Karlovy Vary. Ostrov is approximately the\u00a0same size as J\u00e1chymov, but has many times more inhabitants (around 16,000). It lies on the\u00a0Byst\u0159ice river (Fig.\u00a010<\/span><\/em>), into which the\u00a0J\u00e1chymovsk\u00fd stream flows. The\u00a0town settlement is documented from the\u00a0beginning of\u00a0the\u00a013th century, when it was already a\u00a0prosperous town. Today Ostrov offers many historical monuments, but also cultural, social, and sporting activities.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Fig.\u00a010. The\u00a0Byst\u0159ice river in\u00a0Ostrov<\/h6>\n

THE CHATEAU AND THE \u201cEIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD\u201d<\/h2>\n

Probably the\u00a0most significant and interesting monument of\u00a0Ostrov is the\u00a0chateau (Fig.\u00a011<\/span><\/em>), built on the\u00a0foundations of\u00a0the\u00a0original medieval castle. It is a\u00a0large chateau complex consisting of\u00a0several buildings and surrounded by an impressive garden (Figs. 12<\/em>, 13<\/em><\/span>). Its original form was shaped in\u00a0the\u00a0spirit of\u00a0Mannerism, then Baroque and the\u00a0High Baroque. Over time, the\u00a0most important engineers, surveyors, and builders participated in\u00a0its creation. Some of\u00a0their plans are still available today in\u00a0the\u00a0exhibition in\u00a0the\u00a0chateau building. The\u00a0chateau garden is crossed by the\u00a0Byst\u0159ice river; from the\u00a0very beginning, plans were primarily made for its use and distribution of\u00a0its water throughout the\u00a0complex (Fig.\u00a014<\/span><\/em>). Therefore, both parts of the garden were equipped with various water features \u2013 fountains and spouts, water bodies with sculptures, a maze, a garden theatre, ponds with swans, and an extensive system of canals, along which it was possible to float in boats. The chateau garden was therefore ever since the 17th century referred to as the \u201ceighth wonder of the world\u201d, so it is no surprise that it became the model for many gardens of noble residences in Europe,\u00a0for example in\u00a0France, Italy, Austria, and the\u00a0Netherlands. During its heyday, one of\u00a0the\u00a0owners of\u00a0the\u00a0estate was the\u00a0aforementioned Count Stephan Schlick (\u0160t\u011bp\u00e1n \u0160lik), founder of\u00a0J\u00e1chymov. However, after his death in\u00a01526 in\u00a0the\u00a0battle against the\u00a0Turks at Moh\u00e1cs, the\u00a0wealthy \u0160lik family continued to operate here.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h6>\n
Fig.\u00a011. The\u00a0Ostrov chateau<\/h6>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/h6>\n
Fig.\u00a012. The\u00a0chateau garden gate<\/h6>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/h6>\n
Fig.\u00a013. The\u00a0chateau summer pavilion was originally surrounded by lakes with swans<\/h6>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/h6>\n
Fig.\u00a014. One of\u00a0the\u00a0plans for water distribution in\u00a0the\u00a0chateau garden (1799)<\/h6>\n

The\u00a0Ostrov chateau is still the\u00a0pride of\u00a0the\u00a0West Bohemian region, and its architecture and the\u00a0freely accessible chateau garden with a\u00a0beautiful park layout (Fig.\u00a015<\/span><\/em>), is a\u00a0model of\u00a0very successful maintenance and preservation of\u00a0natural heritage in\u00a0a\u00a0town centre.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h6>\n
Fig.\u00a015. The\u00a0chateau garden today (August 2024)
\nPhotos pp. 50\u201353: Z. \u0158eho\u0159ov\u00e1<\/h6>\n

Acknowledgements<\/h3>\n

I\u00a0would like to thank the\u00a0staff of\u00a0J\u00e1chymov Spa Visitor Information Centre, without whom my stay in\u00a0J\u00e1chymov would not have been so full of\u00a0activities and my trips around the\u00a0area would not have been so safe and informative. I\u00a0would also like to thank the\u00a0staff of\u00a0the\u00a0castle information centre in\u00a0Ostrov for their explanations of\u00a0all the\u00a0permanent and temporary exhibitions.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

An informative article that is not subject to peer review.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An article discussing the West Bohemian spa town of J\u00e1chymov and its surroundings, where there is a nature trail called the Valley of Mills, leading through the valley of the J\u00e1chymov stream to the town of Ostrov nad Oh\u0159\u00ed, where there is a castle with an admirable castle garden.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":35074,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3797,3738,3798,3796,3793,3740,3795,3794],"coauthors":[2785],"class_list":["post-35337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-from-the-world-of-water-management","tag-chateau-garden","tag-jachymov","tag-jachymov-streams","tag-mill-trail","tag-mills","tag-ostrov","tag-streams","tag-west-bohemia-spa"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35337"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35343,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35337\/revisions\/35343"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35337"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=35337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}