Prokopske valley

Hi.

In today's post, we will visit the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague. Most of the tourists who come here will first of all visit the landmarks of the city, such as the Prague Castle, or the old town and the Astronomical Clock.

However, we decided on a somewhat unconventional trip for tourists in a big city. I think that locals come here more than tourists. Here, at least for a while, they can escape the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Fortunately, Prague has several parks where you can walk and relax, for example after a hard day's work. One such place is Prokopské údolí. It is a nature reserve and is located practically right behind Prague 5. We arrive here by metro and walk the rest of the way.

We don't see any sign in the town to help us get to the valley. Fortunately, there are much more modern options - mobile phones, and we use them. We pass by industrial enterprises and follow a path lined with bushes, and in a few minutes we are standing in front of an information board.

This valley is the north-eastern spur of the Bohemian Karst, which is located beyond the border of this area.
It is a karst, limestone valley, where there are several fossils and many smaller karst formations.

Since limestone mining has been taking place here since 1820, there are quarries here. Well, since there were quarries, there were also limestone processing companies here. Traces of them are visible to this day.

In the Prokop Valley, you can choose the route you want to take through the valley. An asphalt road leads through the entire valley, but also several side forest paths.

We took the road first, and then went up a forest path, above the valley. We also wanted to look at it from a height. And the view is really worth it.

On the information board, we learned that this area was inhabited a long time ago. There was even an old wooden castle here. Butovické Hradište was inhabited as early as 3000 BC. It also became significant during the Slavic settlement. At that time, it was part of the fortification system, and the walls were built of stone and clay. However, its importance declined in the 9th century, apparently at the expense of Prague Castle, and so it disappeared.

It's a nice autumn. I take advantage of it and try to capture some nicely colored leaves.

And not just leaves. Arrowroot also grows here, so I will share it with you at least through a photo.

The walk along the ridge is very nice. I like the views, but it would be good to go back down to the valley. Only through this steep slope can it be a problem. Fortunately, after a while we found a trodden path and it looks like it goes down. We go through it and we did well. We are again in the Prokop Valley.

I read on the information boards that the hermit Saint Prokop once lived in the local cave. It is said that he wrote the evangelist here, to which the kings of France swore. Sometimes there was also a church dedicated to this saint.

We walk along the asphalt road through the valley. In my opinion, it is also an ideal place for sports. I could imagine myself on roller skates, for example.

We slowly leave the valley, but on the way we pass the viaduct. I am on this trip with a friend who loves trains. He's going to pass by here in a while, so I'm waiting with my finger on the camera to capture this moment.

We succeeded and we continue.

Prague is a beautiful city and not only the historical part. The immediate surroundings are definitely worth paying attention too. We went to see one such location and it was a good walk.

Thank you.