Česká Skalice

In the beginning of the 19^th century there were still 748 artificial lakes in the Nové Město Manor. The biggest of them was Rozkoš. Its surface had 141 hectares. It had a short, solid dam, which held a big amount of water. In 1834 it was drained and only a brook, bearing the same name, remained. In 1966 to 1972 there was built a dam of considerably bigger size. Its name is also Rozkoš and it is called the “Sea of Eastern Bohemia” having surface of ca 1000 hectares, while its exact size depends on weather. This also reflects in its volume over 50 million m³ of water.

 

 

Water to the dam is delivered by the River of Úpa and the dam is used for retaining of water for time of need. Mainly it is an irrigation device for the Elbian Region and ensures navigability of the Elb River. Its task however is even wider. Big water area contributed to beauty of the landscape and especially in summer it attracts many of water-loving tourists, yachters and fishermen.

 

 

Nature of the Babiččino Valley has been included into the protected landscape area and nowadays its southern part from Česká Skalice as far as the Slatinský Mill is determined as the national nature monument with the extensive protection zone. Since 1981 there is an educational path to Rýzmburk. It has 7.5 km and 18 information boards and 7 literary and natural science stops. The path is in operation from May to October. In the Babiččino Valley you can seen the Ratibořice Chateau, the chateau park, manor mill and rolling press, manor inn, greenhouse, Rýzmburk Garden House, hunting pavilion, Viktorčin sluice, sculptural group Granny with Children and Staré bělidlo/Old Bleachery. Monuments of Česká skalice also include, among others: Museum of Božena Němcová, Museum of Textile, Barunka’s School and the monument of Božena Němcová.

 

 

 

Thanks to Babička (i.e. Granny – a famous novel) by Božena Němcová the chateau is well-known as a summer residence of Duchess Kateřina Zaháňská. Nowadays’ appearance of the chateau comes of the beginning of the 19^th century, when Kateřina Zaháňská inherited from her father Náchod and Ratibořice. In 1811 she had the farmyard removed. She transformed a watering place for cattle into a lake. In the Ratibořické Valley, from Česká Skalice to Rýzmburk she established a vast English park passing in free nature with meadow underbrush, groups of trees, many roads and paths, alleys and bridges over the river. The building of the chateau has a rhomboidal ground plan, the ground floor and the first floor, from the hipped roof a narrow half storey protrudes.  

 

 

A wooden cottage covered with shingles of 1797. The Old Bleachery became scenery of Božena Němcová’s novel Babička. Also the Old Bleachery was after the year 1945 equipped with the old folklore furniture in accordance with the author’s story. The Pankls never lived in the current Old Bleachery.

 

  

Božena Němcová spent here a holiday with her children. The original manor bleachery was next to the old chateau greenhouse; when Kateřina Zaháňská had it demolished in 1830, she assigned to the Pankls a cellar two-room apartment.