Photo Trip: Theresia's Valley in South Bohemia
South Bohemia is a beautiful region for those in search of non-mainstream travel destinations. Aside from it’s famous Budweiser beer, South Bohemia’s primary attractions are it’s wonderful nature as well as a rich historic heritage. It's a land of forest mountains and fields, small winding rivers and large old ponds built by masters of the Renaissance period (Rozmberk, the biggest world's fishing pond, is here).
It's a land of magical castles and historic cities (4 UNESCO World Heritage sites and over 130 castles). If there is one country in our planet which would best host elves and hobbits, it would be South Bohemia!
Today’s story is about Theresia’s Valley, a romantic-style park, located south of South Bohemia. This lively valley is a must-visit if you’re travelling to South Bohemia or Northern Austria!
Theresia’s Valley was built in 1756 by Count Jan Nepomuk Buquoy for his wife Theresia. It's a river valley with beautiful sights, old shady trees and a plenty of water wonders.
The centerpoint of the valley is a spectacular waterfall about 10 meters high. Legend has it that the waterfall was Buqouy’s gift to his wife. An impressive and highly symbolic gesture, this year the waterfall has turned 200 years old, and its songs of romance still vibrate in our hearts.
Exploring further into the south, we come across the Blue House (which is brick red now), a ruin of a summer house near the waterfall. Sadly, this landmark was destroyed by a flood in 1936 and was never restored.
The communist government, which came into power in Czech Republic after WWI, took over the Buquoy lands. They didn't care about the heritage of German-speaking areas, so they just left the park as it was (which turned out to be rather a good thing). In addition, this land was too close to the Iron Curtain. which saved it from the industrialisation.
The trees you see in front of the Blue House are Sequoias (California Redwoods) brought from North America and planted here by the Buquoys in 1803. As you probably know, redwood trees can live more than 1800 years and are the tallest living things on Earth.
Exploring further to the left of the Blue House, we’ll soon arrive at the Wedding Oak, a big old tree with a reputation as a sentimental location for newlyweds to sit under. I guess it could be as old as Zuckenstein, a late Gothic castle located a few hundred meters away.
If you are planning a trip to Central Europe, then Southern Bohemia should be on the top of your bucket-list!
The photos were taken by me with a Canon EOS 400D camera.
Thank you @introducingmo for helping me polish the text!
I'm a blogger, web designer, entrepreneur, world citizen and a father to eight. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow me at @vitkolesnik.
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Those 130 castles sound so incredibly cool. Elves, Hobbits, all thing Tolkein would be welcome there. I am sure. Toss in those 4 UNESCO sites and you have the makings of an amazingly special place. Classic photos here.
That was a fantastic log of your journey! I thoroughly enjoyed reading through it as well as seeing the pictures!
Glad you liked it!)
i really enjoyed this post followed you and upped @vitkolesnik
Thanks!
Amazing place, so peaceful.... and really great story. Thank you for sharing:)
Thank you!
Would be fun to go camping by that waterfall
There are camping sites nearby, the park itself is a protected monument.
It is a good place for cool down ourself in such hot summer.
Yes the temperature in the valley is a bit lower than outside thanks to a natural phenomenon called inversion.
Geat travel and story @vitkolesnik!
thank you @dimarss, come to see it live, you're close to us I suppose)
My relative lives there!
Does not manage to visit her temporarily((
The waterfall and the ruins look so nice!
Thanks!)
Hello @vitkolesnik good sharing and Very nice view, incredible. Please Upvote, Resteem and Follow me @sanu thank you very much