Around the Padrta Ponds

A reminder of natural values and human settlement

The trail has a total of 13 stops, four classic large information panels and nine small metal panels placed on solitary stones, which are a contribution to the preservation of the undeveloped landscape of the MPA. The panels are mainly dedicated to the natural values of the area. However, the surroundings of Padrť Ponds were also significantly shaped by the work of the people who lived here in the now defunct villages of Padrť, Přední and Zadní Záběhlá and Kolvín. There are large panels dedicated to them in the places where the villages used to stand. The panels and boards are supplemented with QR codes, under which additional information on each topic is hidden, e.g. chronicles of extinct villages.

As Brdy is a remote and rugged landscape, the mobile operator signal needed to display the content of the QR codes may not be available at all stops. Often, after scanning the QR code, it is enough to walk a few steps and the content will be displayed. In particularly adverse conditions, the QR can be loaded onto your mobile device and the content viewed at home. The individual trail stops can be viewed in any order, and visitors can choose where to board the trail and how many stops to view. The nature trail Around Padrt Ponds, which fulfils the Interpretation Plan of the Brdy Protected Landscape Area, was created by the AOPK ČR and the Brdy Protected Landscape Area Administration.

The rock cabin among natural monuments

Jindřichova skála is a rock "log cabin" with a perpendicular wall and a stone sea. Such rock formations are typical for Brdy. The natural monument covers an area of five hectares and is the first small-area protected area in the Central Brdy.

The rock cabin was formed by weathering and gradual breaking off of rock blocks. With a wall height of 21 m, it is one of the highest in Brdy. The stone sea below it is special because of its size and the size of the rock blocks. They are made up of primordial siltstones, hard and acidic rock. It is home to a number of lichen species that thrive on the sunny debris fields. They find good living conditions here in the form of plenty of light and less competition from other plants that cannot thrive in the harsh conditions of the boulder rubble.

"Lichen stands do not thrive in rubble. They are long-lived organisms and grow very slowly. We therefore thank all hikers and climbers for their understanding of these small inhabitants and for respecting the prohibition of entering the rubble and the rock face. One of the most beautiful viewpoints in Brdy, from where we can admire the Valdek castle and the Křivoklát hills behind it across the valley of the Červený brook, can be easily reached by following the hiking trail from Malé Vísky near Hořovice."
Bohumil Fišer from the Czech Nature and Landscape Conservation Agency, Brdy Protected Landscape Area Administration, said.

The Jindřichova skála Nature Monument was declared on 10 December with effect on Christmas Eve, 24 December 2019.