The viewing tower at Vlcí hora © Ricky Yates
As well as working on improving my garden, I’ve also been exploring more of the wonderful countryside in the surrounding area where I now live. I’ve enjoyed sharing several walks with my Czech friend Kát’a who, in turn, has been a great help to me in overcoming various Czech language issues.
Back on the afternoon of Wednesday 9th September, we climbed to the top of Vlcí hora (581m), a prominent mountain about forty-five minutes drive north-east of Stará Oleška, near the town of Krásná Lípa. Like so many Czech hills and mountains, Vlcí hora is completely forested. But also like quite a number of Czech hills and mountains, there is a viewing tower at the summit, which overcomes the problem of the trees blocking the view 🙂
Vlcí hora is the result of volcanic action during the Tertiary period. In the neighbouring photo, you can see the columns of basalt rock beneath the base of the viewing tower. Amusingly, you can also see Kát’a’s mobile phone which she was using to take a similar photo to me at the same time 😉
The viewing tower was open and manned so, after paying the 20kc/£0.70 per person admission fee, we climbed the 64 steps to the top. We were rewarded with these magnificent views.
View from Vlcí hora © Ricky Yates
View from Vlcí hora © Ricky Yates
View from Vlcí hora © Ricky Yates
View from Vlcí hora © Ricky Yates
View from Vlcí hora © Ricky Yates
On Saturday 3rd October, we walked from the village of Ludvíkovice, which lies halfway between Decín and Stará Oleška, to the Ružová vyhlídka viewpoint above Kanon Labe, which I have featured in a previous post more than two years ago.
View from Ružová vyhlídka viewpoint above Kanon Labe © Ricky Yates
I always think this view is spectacular. But what I particularly liked on this occasion, was the tinge of Autumn colours that you can see beginning to appear on some of the trees.
Me, contemplating the view from Ružová vyhlídka © Kát’a Burešová
And here is me, contemplating the view in the other direction, towards Decín.
Earlier this month, on Thursday 5th November, we drove for about an hour, north and east of Stará Oleška, to the Lužické hory or Lusatian Mountains, as they are sometimes called in English. Parking the car in a small car park at the end of a narrow road, a couple of kilometres south of the small town of Jiretín pod Jedlovou, we set out to climb to the summit of Jedlová (774m).
We were blessed weather-wise, with the perfect day for walking with mainly clear skies and therefore very clear views.
View whilst ascending Jedlová © Ricky Yates
This was the view to the south on our upward climb.
Viewing tower on the summit of Jedlová © Ricky Yates
Just like Vlcí hora, Jedlová has a viewing tower on the summit, along with a small hotel and restaurant. But all three were closed because of the current lockdown restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Fortunately, good views are available without needing to climb the tower.
View north-west from the summit of Jedlová © Ricky Yates
This is the view north-west. Apparently, the lake in the centre of the photo is called Velký rybník, which translates as ‘big pond’ 🙂
View north from the summit of Jedlová © Ricky Yates
This is the view northwards with the border town of Varnsdorf in the middle distance, and Germany immediately beyond.
View when descending from the summit of Jedlová © Ricky Yates
A view when descending from the summit of Jedlová.
Walking the red waymarked route © Ricky Yates
Our return journey along the red waymarked route, (note the waymark on the tree on the right), took us between two lines of trees with an autumnal carpet of fallen leaves to walk on.
Us & our shadows © Kát’a Burešová
Two shadowy characters on the path 🙂
Hrad Tolštejn © Ricky Yates
Across the road from where we had left my car, are the ruins of Hrad Tolštejn, situated on the top of a rocky outcrop. We both decided we still had just about enough energy for the climb, before setting out for home.
Jiretín pod Jedlovou as seen from Hrad Tolštejn © Ricky Yates
We were rewarded for our effort by more wonderful views. This is the small town of Jiretín pod Jedlovou.
View from Hrad Tolštejn © Kát’a Burešová
View from Hrad Tolštejn © Kát’a Burešová
Whilst these two final photos capture some of the wonderful Autumn colours on display.
way to go Ricky. 🙂 Jan
Thank you, Jan 🙂
Hi Ricky,
Thank you for posting further beautiful photographs of ‘the nature’, excellent work as always. There is something captivating in a picture of receding blue or grey hills and mountains; it calms the soul and seems to draw you into the landscape.
Autumn is such a lovely time of year with the changing colours and then textures of leaves and trees and the heightened and varied tones of sunrise and sunset. The shortening days and colder weather can be a little depressing but even these things have compensations in clear nights for stargazing if, like me, you are lucky enough to live in an area not too ‘light polluted’.
It’s hard to believe Christmas Day is only one month away and this strange, bleak and sorrowful year will soon be gone. Please God 2021 will be a truly Happy New Year.
Many thanks again Ricky for bringing us along on your walks in Beautiful Bohemia, may you have health and energy for many many more trips.
Take care,
Sean.
Hi Sean,
You are very kind with your compliments of my photography. I thought you would enjoy this post with me being out in ‘the nature’.
I agree with what you say about the season of Autumn. I love the changing colours of the trees which I hope I captured in some of these photographs. The one thing I don’t like is dealing with the fallen leaves in my garden. Despite getting my walnut tree reduced in May this year, as described in a previous post, the back garden & neighbouring driveway still got absolutely covered and it has taken me about twenty wheelbarrow loads to the green waste skip, to get rid of them all.
Whilst the village has street-lighting, there is very little other light pollution here so, like you, on clear nights I can enjoy the stars. However I don’t like the limited hours of daylight so I’m glad that we are now less than four weeks away from the so-called ‘shortest day’, before the hours of daylight once again start to increase.
I share your hope that 2021 will be a better year. Thank you once again for dropping by & commenting here.
Hi Ricky: Absolutely beautiful walking country. I echo Sean McCann’s comments. He described walking in nature in such wonderful prose I could not mimic, so I just give him credit and copy him. I must write to him soon. Keep walking so we can enjoy.
Regards, Bob
P.S. please note the e-mail change
Hi Bob: Thank you for visiting & commenting once again. I agree with you, Sean does have a very good way with words 😉 Glad you enjoyed the views.
We had our first snow earlier this week. Not that much & it melted within 24 hours. But a portent of things to come I expect. Email address book has been adjusted.