{"id":38374,"date":"2026-04-09T15:56:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T14:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/2026\/04\/bozidarske-raseliniste\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T20:19:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T19:19:07","slug":"bozi-dar-peat-bog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/2026\/04\/bozi-dar-peat-bog\/","title":{"rendered":"Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Ore Mountains triangle formed by the\u00a0towns of\u00a0Abertamy, Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar, and Horn\u00ed Blatn\u00e1 is not only a tourist and skiing paradise, but also part of\u00a0the\u00a0Erzgebirge\/Kru\u0161noho\u0159\u00ed Mining Region, inscribed on the\u00a0UNESCO World Heritage List since 2019. It is located in\u00a0western Bohemia in\u00a0the\u00a0Karlovy Vary District, near the\u00a0state border with Saxony in\u00a0Germany (see map in\u00a0Fig.\u00a01<\/span><\/em>). The\u00a0area consists essentially of\u00a0three ore mining districts combined into a single region, characterised by a range of\u00a0urban and landscape heritage features, led by the\u00a0historic centres of\u00a0all three towns (e.g.,\u00a0the\u00a0Church of\u00a0the\u00a0Fourteen Holy Helpers in\u00a0Abertamy from 1534, Fig.\u00a02<\/span><\/em>).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Fig.\u00a01. Map of\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog and its immediate surroundings<\/h6>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/h6>\n
Fig.\u00a02. Church of\u00a0the\u00a0Fourteen Holy Helpers in\u00a0Abertamy<\/h6>\n

Nature reserve<\/h3>\n

A highly significant and inspiring part of\u00a0this area is Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog National Nature Reserve (Fig.\u00a03<\/span>). It is located west of\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar on a plateau near Bo\u017e\u00eddarsk\u00fd \u0160pi\u010d\u00e1k, the\u00a0highest basalt dome in\u00a0Central Europe (1,115 m a.s.l.; Fig.\u00a04<\/span><\/em>). Covering an\u00a0area of\u00a0approximately 930 ha, it is one of\u00a0the\u00a0important protected areas in\u00a0the\u00a0Czech Republic. Its value in\u00a0terms of\u00a0nature conservation is best demonstrated by the\u00a0fact that in\u00a02008 it was designated as a Wetland of\u00a0International Importance under the\u00a0Ramsar Convention. It is also part of\u00a0Ore Mountains Plateau Site of\u00a0Community Importance within\u00a0the\u00a0Natura 2000 network.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h3>\n
Fig.\u00a03. Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog<\/h6>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Fig.\u00a04. The\u00a0nature reserve is situated on a plateau<\/h6>\n

Among the\u00a0watercourses, the\u00a0most important for the\u00a0peat bog are the\u00a0\u010cern\u00e1 stream, which rises here at the\u00a0northern edge, the\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00eddarsk\u00fd stream, and their small tributaries (Fig.\u00a05<\/span><\/em>). In\u00a0the\u00a0southern part lies Mrtv\u00fd pond, characteristic for its dark colour caused by the\u00a0presence of\u00a0peat. Since the\u00a016th century, it served the\u00a0needs of\u00a0mining operations. Blatensk\u00fd Water Ditch also originates in\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog (Fig.\u00a06<\/span><\/em>). This is a unique technical structure built between 1540 and 1544, which supplied water to local tin\u00a0and iron mines and also functioned as a navigation canal for timber transport. The\u00a0ditch ran from the\u00a0peat bog via Myslivny and Ry\u017eovna to Bludn\u00e1 and around Blatensk\u00fd hill to Horn\u00ed Blatn\u00e1, where it was piped and led into the\u00a0Blatensk\u00fd stream. Even after mining ceased in\u00a0the\u00a019th century, its use did not end \u2013 it became a source of\u00a0water for local mills, sawmills, and paper mills, as well as for fire protection; indeed, it remains in\u00a0operation to this day. It is approximately 12 km long and is accompanied by an educational trail of\u00a0the\u00a0same name with 23\u00a0stops. Blatensk\u00fd Water Ditch is an excellent example of\u00a0the\u00a0high level of\u00a0technical and logistical cooperation between the\u00a0mining industry and water management in\u00a0this Ore Mountains region as early as the\u00a016th century. In\u00a02017, it was designated a National Cultural Monument.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Fig.\u00a05. The\u00a0landscape is interwoven with numerous small streams<\/h6>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Fig.\u00a06. Blatensk\u00fd Water Ditch with a newly repaired footbridge (June 2025)<\/h6>\n

History of\u00a0the\u00a0area<\/h3>\n

Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar (1,028 m a.s.l.), the\u00a0highest town in\u00a0the\u00a0Czech Republic and in\u00a0Central Europe, with a current population of\u00a0around 260 inhabitants, was founded as early as 1533 by the\u00a0Saxon Elector John Frederick I, who is still depicted in\u00a0one of\u00a0the\u00a0town\u2019s symbols \u2013 the\u00a0famous mountain\u00a0Green Hotel (Fig.\u00a07<\/span><\/em>) from 1542 \u2013 in\u00a0a wall painting.<\/span><\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Fig.\u00a07. Zelen\u00fd d\u016fm Hotel in\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar<\/h6>\n

The\u00a0three ore mining districts mentioned above (Horn\u00ed Blatn\u00e1, H\u0159ebe\u010dn\u00e1, and Bludn\u00e1), with their numerous surface and underground remains of\u00a0mining activity, still provide exceptional evidence of\u00a0various methods of\u00a0extracting tin, as well as iron, copper, and other ores from steep greisen veins (quartz veins in\u00a0strongly metamorphosed granitic rock, typical of\u00a0the\u00a0Blatn\u00e1 granite massif; author\u2019s note<\/span>) over a\u00a0period of\u00a0more than 400 years, from the\u00a016th to\u00a0the\u00a020th\u00a0century. Illustrative examples include the\u00a0former tin\u00a0mines of\u00a0Vl\u010d\u00ed and Ledov\u00e1 j\u00e1ma on Blatensk\u00fd hill and Zuzana mine in\u00a0the\u00a0nearby Bludn\u00e1 district. Even larger is the\u00a0collapse depression of\u00a0\u010cerven\u00e1 j\u00e1ma mine between Bludn\u00e1 and H\u0159ebe\u010dn\u00e1. The\u00a0well-preserved Mauritius mine in\u00a0H\u0159ebe\u010dn\u00e1, now a National Cultural Monument, features the\u00a0400 m long Kry\u0161tof\u00a0adit, which is open to the\u00a0public and offers the\u00a0opportunity to view traces of\u00a0manual excavation using hammer and chisel, as well as rock fractured by heat from the\u00a0fire-setting technique.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of\u00a0a completely different type is the\u00a0Zlat\u00fd Kopec deposit (originally called Kaff), located on a steep slope above the\u00a0Zlat\u00fd stream on the\u00a0edge of\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar. The\u00a0largest mine in\u00a0this district was Johannes mine from the\u00a016th century, which was used to extract polymetallic ores of\u00a0tin, iron, and copper from flat-lying skarn bodies (formations metamorphosed at the\u00a0contact of\u00a0limestones and magma into silicate rocks, which are rich sources of\u00a0these ores; author\u2019s note<\/span>). It\u00a0operated for almost 400 years with only minor interruptions.<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0extraction of\u00a0tin\u00a0ores was also linked to the\u00a0establishment of\u00a0the\u00a0town of\u00a0Horn\u00ed Blatn\u00e1, which is the\u00a0only example of\u00a0a mining town in\u00a0the\u00a0Ore Mountains that was deliberately founded in\u00a0the\u00a016th century on previously undeveloped land for the\u00a0extraction of\u00a0ores other than silver.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sejpy \u2013 a unique feature of\u00a0the\u00a0mining landscape<\/h3>\n

Deep mining of\u00a0tin\u00a0ores in\u00a0many parts of\u00a0the\u00a0Abertamy \u2013 Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar \u2013 Horn\u00ed Blatn\u00e1 mining landscape was preceded by the\u00a0washing of\u00a0cassiterite from alluvial deposits of\u00a0watercourses, especially the\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00eddarsk\u00fd stream, the\u00a0\u010cern\u00e1 stream, and its unnamed tributaries in\u00a0the\u00a0highest parts of\u00a0the\u00a0Ore Mountains. Hundreds of\u00a0small mounds and depressions near Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar and below Blatensk\u00fd hill testify to the\u00a0enormous extent of\u00a0the\u00a0washing of\u00a0tin\u00a0ore grains \u2013 cassiterite (tin\u00a0dioxide, SnO\u2082<\/sub>). The\u00a0main\u00a0period of\u00a0alluvial mining of\u00a0tin\u00a0dates to the\u00a016th to 18th centuries; however, it certainly took place even earlier, before the\u00a0founding of\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar in\u00a01533, as\u00a0Mathesius\u2019s chronicle of\u00a0J\u00e1chymov from 1562 already describes some of\u00a0the\u00a0mining mounds as overgrown with tall trees (information from the\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog educational trail; author\u2019s note<\/span>).<\/span><\/p>\n

These mining mounds, also known as sejpy<\/span> (from the\u00a0German seifen<\/span> = to pan), are composed of\u00a0sands and gravels and fragments of\u00a0rocks from the\u00a0surrounding area, mainly schists and phyllites, as well as rounded fragments of\u00a0Tertiary volcanic rocks; irregular grains of\u00a0quartz, mica, and feldspar are also ubiquitous. A distinctive feature of\u00a0the\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar sejpy<\/span> is the\u00a0presence of\u00a0gold flakes, i.e. small particles of\u00a0gold. <\/span><\/p>\n

Although gold has never been mined in\u00a0the\u00a0Ore Mountains (unlike silver, tin, copper, cobalt, and iron ores) and no primary deposits are known, small and therefore non-economic quantities of\u00a0gold flakes have always been found here during panning. Their occurrence has not yet been scientifically explained; they are probably already present in\u00a0greisen veins and are subsequently concentrated in\u00a0local alluvial deposits through transport and natural processes such as weathering and sedimentation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Individual sejpy<\/span> are typically rounded mounds five to ten metres in\u00a0length, with heights at their crests exceeding two metres. The\u00a0greatest concentration occurs around the\u00a0\u010cern\u00e1 stream above the\u00a0former Nov\u00fd Mill, near the\u00a0so-called Hubertky area, and along an unnamed stream at the\u00a0eastern edge of\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog. Numerous remains of\u00a0former panning sites can also be found further downstream along the\u00a0\u010cern\u00e1 near Myslivny, Ry\u017eovna, and other locations. The\u00a0total area covered by sejpy<\/span> in\u00a0the\u00a0vicinity of\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar exceeds 250,000 m\u00b2, placing them among the\u00a0largest in\u00a0the\u00a0Ore Mountains as well as in\u00a0the\u00a0Czech Republic as a whole (for completeness, it should be noted that <\/span>sejpy can also be found, for example, in\u00a0the\u00a0\u0160umava Mountains near Kvilda; there, however, they are associated with gold rather than tin\u00a0panning; author\u2019s note<\/span>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Since 2013, the\u00a0historic sejpy<\/span> near Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar have been protected as a cultural monument of\u00a0the\u00a0Czech Republic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unique vegetation<\/h3>\n

The\u00a0reason for the\u00a0strict protection of\u00a0this area is not only the\u00a0wetland itself as a source of\u00a0moisture for the\u00a0landscape and its specific microclimate, but also the\u00a0local flora and fauna. As the\u00a0most fertile humus layer was washed away during panning, the\u00a0sejpy<\/span> are very poor in\u00a0nutrients. They therefore differ markedly from surrounding sites in\u00a0the\u00a0vegetation that grows on them. A particularly interesting feature is that their individual elements \u2013 mounds and depressions \u2013 also differ from one another. While the\u00a0mining mounds, with their distinctive vegetation, resemble northern flora, the\u00a0depressions between them retain\u00a0more moisture, allowing characteristic wetland plants to grow there, such as clubmosses and the\u00a0carnivorous round-leaved sundew.<\/span><\/p>\n

In\u00a0terms of\u00a0forest vegetation, the\u00a0sejpy<\/span> are characterised by stunted spruce stands and dwarf pine, as well as dwarf birch and mountain\u00a0pine; among plants, there are communities of\u00a0heather, cowberry, mountain\u00a0everlasting, red fescue, and red campion (Fig.\u00a08<\/span><\/em>). Wild pansy also thrives here (Fig.\u00a09<\/span><\/em>). Among protected herbaceous plants, one can find mountain\u00a0arnica, bog bilberry, crowberry, and others.<\/span><\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Fig.\u00a08. Red campion<\/h6>\n\"\"<\/a>\n
Fig.\u00a09. Wild pansy<\/h6>\n

A characteristic species is also hare\u2019s-tail cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum<\/span>) (Fig.\u00a010<\/span><\/em>), a member of\u00a0the\u00a0sedge family, for which the\u00a0local acidic peat soils and higher elevation are well suited. After flowering, it is easily recognised by its white cotton-like tufts, which are carried across the\u00a0landscape and readily dispersed. In\u00a0the\u00a0past, these white fluffy fibres were often used for making wadding and even paper. At the\u00a0same time, hare\u2019s-tail cottongrass contributes to the\u00a0formation of\u00a0peat, which was once extensively extracted from Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog for use in\u00a0nearby spa facilities.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h6>\n
Fig.\u00a010. Hare\u2019s-tail cottongrass is an\u00a0important species for the\u00a0peatland<\/h6>\n

The\u00a0local fauna is particularly rich in\u00a0numerous species of\u00a0insects and songbirds, but one may also encounter the\u00a0common adder as well as various species of\u00a0lizards and newts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Educational trails<\/h3>\n

The\u00a0landscape of\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog is interwoven not only with numerous adits, mines, and collapse depressions, but also with several educational trails. These are mostly of\u00a0an informative and educational nature. In\u00a0addition to the\u00a0above-mentioned trail along Blatensk\u00fd Water Ditch, there is also, in\u00a0the\u00a0northern part, the\u00a0Tin\u00a0Trail (German Zinnweg<\/span>) from Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar to Ry\u017eovna, bearing the\u00a0logo \u201cAhoj sousede\u201d (Hello neighbour), which was created as a symbol of\u00a0cross-border cooperation between the\u00a0Czech Republic and Saxony within\u00a0the\u00a0European Regional Development Fund. The\u00a0main\u00a0objective of\u00a0this project was the\u00a0preservation, protection, and\u00a0development of\u00a0natural and cultural heritage, as well as the\u00a0improvement of\u00a0tourist infrastructure in\u00a0the\u00a0Central Ore Mountains region.<\/span><\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

A circular educational trail of\u00a0the\u00a0same name runs directly through Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog. It was established as early as 1972 with the\u00a0construction of\u00a0a boardwalk leading through part of\u00a0the\u00a0peat bog. Between 2009 and 2011, the\u00a0trail underwent a technically and financially demanding reconstruction, 85 % of\u00a0which was co-financed by the\u00a0European Union \u2013 namely the\u00a0European Regional Development Fund. The\u00a0trail is now 2.3 km long and features 12 numbered stops with well-prepared information on the\u00a0history of\u00a0the\u00a0area, its flora and fauna, and many other points of\u00a0interest (Fig.\u00a011<\/span><\/em>). The\u00a0new boardwalk is built of\u00a0solid oak timber and, compared to the\u00a0original, has been widened for visitor safety. As the\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog trail passes through its most valuable part, it is strictly forbidden to leave the\u00a0boardwalk and enter the\u00a0surrounding landscape.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Fig.\u00a011. The\u00a0educational trail provides much useful information about Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog<\/h6>\n

Of\u00a0a completely different character is the\u00a0so-called Je\u017e\u00ed\u0161ek Trail, which has two circuits (5.6 km and 12.9 km), with the\u00a0longer route leading around the\u00a0entire peat bog, allowing it to be joined from the\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog trail. The\u00a0Je\u017e\u00ed\u0161ek Trail begins in\u00a0the\u00a0town of\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar, and its stops in\u00a0the\u00a0field are easily recognisable thanks to small wooden figures (the\u00a0same symbol is also placed in\u00a0front of\u00a0the\u00a0post office in\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar, where the\u00a0so-called Je\u017e\u00ed\u0161ek Post Office operates; author\u2019s note; see Fig.\u00a012<\/em>). This recreational trail is primarily intended for families with children, for whom maps and activity booklets with tasks can be obtained at the\u00a0information centre in\u00a0Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar; children complete the\u00a0tasks and record their answers at individual stations. In\u00a0addition to its playful character, the\u00a0trail also has an educational function, with an emphasis on nature conservation from an early age. The\u00a0unique Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog, with its rich history and rare vegetation, undoubtedly deserves protection and respect.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Fig.\u00a012. This wooden statue is a symbol of\u00a0the\u00a0Je\u017e\u00ed\u0161ek Trail<\/h6>\n

Sources and acknowledgements<\/h3>\n

All information used in\u00a0this article, apart from personal observations and conversations with local residents, is derived primarily from maps, guidebooks, and booklets obtained from information centres and hotel receptions, as well as from the\u00a0information panels of\u00a0the\u00a0individual educational trails that I visited during my travels in\u00a0the\u00a0Ore Mountains in\u00a0August 2024 and June 2025. Special thanks are due to Mr\u00a0Radovan P\u0159iklopil from the\u00a0reception of\u00a0the\u00a0Radium Palace Hotel in\u00a0J\u00e1chymov, who kindly provided me with many useful maps and sources of\u00a0information.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

An informative article that is not subject to peer review.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Ore Mountains triangle formed by the towns of Abertamy, Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar, and Horn\u00ed Blatn\u00e1 is not only a tourist and skiing paradise, but also part of the Erzgebirge\/Kru\u0161noho\u0159\u00ed Mining Region, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2019. A highly significant and inspiring part of this area is Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar Peat Bog National Nature Reserve. It is located west of Bo\u017e\u00ed Dar on a plateau near Bo\u017e\u00eddarsk\u00fd \u0160pi\u010d\u00e1k, the highest basalt dome in Central Europe (1,115 m a.s.l.). Covering an area of approximately 930 ha, it is one of the important protected areas in the Czech Republic. Its value in terms of nature conservation is best demonstrated by the fact that in 2008 it was designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. It is also part of Ore Mountains Plateau Site of Community Importance within the Natura 2000 network.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[94,2,86],"tags":[4033,4069,4070,4068,3927],"coauthors":[2785],"class_list":["post-38374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-issue","category-from-the-world-of-water-management","category-hydraulics-hydrology-and-hydrogeology","tag-bozi-dar","tag-erzgebirge","tag-nature-reserve","tag-ore-mountains","tag-peat-bog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38374","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=38374"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38543,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38374\/revisions\/38543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38374"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=38374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}