Encouraged by the loveliness of the morning, I jumped into the lake – and let me tell you, my dip lasted all of about 4 seconds. Very refreshing, indeed.
After breakfast all were ready to board the vessels – one sea-kayak (Richard), one canoe (Jerry and Mila) and one white-water kayak named Bert (Petra). As lovely as the lake is, it is hard work compared to flowing river and let me tell you that trying to cross about 17 kilometres of flat water in something that was designed for white water wilderness can be quite vexing – at times I resembled ballerina for all the pirouettes I was making with Bertie in the middle of the lake while Richard was gracefully gliding next to me, concentrated and unfazed!
However, in the end we could sound the cheer as we reached the dam of the 48 kilometre long artificial Czech sea called Lipno. This is an interesting part of the river, not described in the water guide. From the time when the Lipno Dam was built, the water from the turbines here has been led through an underground canal (the largest underground canal in the Republic at that time) to the nearby Vyssi Brod.
Straight under the concrete dike of the Lipno Dam (705 m above sea level) the natural water canal starts. During the Championships of the Republic, World championships and World Cups, dangerous water is allowed to run through the canal with great boulders, and the world's top racers put their boats on it. It is referred to as the "water of truth". One cannot train here, but a few hours before the race, here he who knows his ins and outs, he succeeds.
AND WHAT AWAITS US NEXT? Packing up the boats and driving over to Vyssi Brod (Upper Ford in English) that will be the starting point of tomorrow's adventure.
Phase One Achieved.
Vyssi Brod:
The first written mention of the town is from 1259. The settlement existed before the founding of the monastery, However it is the monastery the town is famous for. Vyssi Brod Monastery is one of the largest monastery complexes in Bohemia, 33 km from Cesky Krumlov. This Cistercian monastery was founded by Vok of Rozmberk (Rosenberg) in 1259, and today it is still the seat of the Cistercian order. The interiors contain the Gothic church, a gallery with over 100 paintings by Baroque masters, a small gallery with exhibitions about Cistercian way of life and a unique library containing 70 000 volumes and a Postal Museum exhibition.
Legend of the Devil's Wall in Vyssi Brod
The devil was severly irritated by the monastery in Vyssi Brod, so he decided to build a dam in the chasm which would hold up the water and flood the monastery. With great strength, he tore enormous rocks down into the Vltava river valley - his work, however, was to be finished before the third crow of the black cock. The black prince didn't succeed; after the third crow of the black cock, his evil power was gone. The bell in the monastery's tower rang, and the devil had to leave the rocks, on which can be seen the marks of his ugly claws even today.
The great rocks above the river are called the devil's pulpit, and the sheer cliffs full of stones below are called Devil's Wall. These cliffs, long ago, were called by the name Strasidelnik (strah-shi-dell-neek), meaning something like the place of frights. According to old legends, this was a holy place where ancient Slavs paid homage to the god Svatoroh. Christianity later used the old myths to create new legends in which the devil represented evil and the monastery in Vyssi Brod represented good.
Funnily enough, later (as I am writing the blog), I came over a website giving some advice concerning Vltava and Lipno in particular. How apt I am finding them now! You can judge for yourselves:
Perhaps some bits of advice might help :
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment