Maybe it'll come back to life?

Mining is in full swing, but there are also places where time has stood still. On one of the buildings, the faded communist slogan “FOR THE EARLY FULFILLMENT OF TASKS” is still visible today, a reminder of a time when industry was a symbol of progress and achievement. Kaolin is one of the raw materials that has a long tradition in Czech industry and remains very important to this day. Kaolin is a fine-grained white rock composed primarily of the mineral kaolinite. It is formed through the long-term weathering of feldspar-bearing rocks, such as granite. Thanks to its white color, fineness, and resistance to high temperatures, it has become an important industrial raw material used in many fields. It is typically white to light gray in color, soft, and easy to process. When mixed with water, it forms a plastic mass suitable for shaping, which is why it is irreplaceable, especially in the production of porcelain and ceramics. However, it also finds applications in other sectors—it is used in paper manufacturing, construction, the production of paints and varnishes, cosmetics, and the pharmaceutical industry. Even today, kaolin remains a raw material that modern industry would find difficult to do without. And although mining continues in full swing, some areas around the mines still bear traces of the past, reminding us of a time long gone.

Today I’ll show you what our ancestors were able to build in order to mine iron ore. There used to be a mine here, and in order to continue mining, it was necessary to divert the river. That’s why two parallel tunnels were built, each approximately 1.6 km long. After a few years, however, it turned out that the ore deposit was poor and mining became unprofitable, so it was shut down. And so the river gradually returned to its original course. And what about the tunnels today? One of them is being used again—a small hydroelectric power plant has been built inside it. The other is, apart from a few leaks, empty and has become a favorite wintering ground for bats.

The hospital was built between 1903 and 1906, during the city’s period of greatest expansion. Official city sources indicate that it opened around 1905. The hospital’s heyday Its peak came in the 1970s and 1980s. The hospital had: surgery, internal medicine, gynecology, a maternity ward, a pediatric ward, and an emergency room. After it closed in 1989, problems began: population decline in the border region, a shortage of doctors, an outdated facility, high operating costs, changes in healthcare financing

Let the saws 🪚 cut straight, as planks, boards, and beams pile up and sawdust flies into the silo.

🦊 I bike past this rusty fox all the time, and I always think to myself that there must be a great view of the valley and the river from up there. So the time had come to grab my gloves, scramble up the hill, and climb onto the rusty fox. It’s a good thing it’s perched so high on the rock—they didn’t bother taking it down when they dismantled the power line.

The watermill on the Zákolanský Stream was first mentioned in 1525. In 1639, during the Thirty Years’ War, it was burned down by Swedish soldiers. The mill burned down once more and changed hands several times. Felix Janča of Brno had a nearly one-meter-tall statue of Saint Florian, the patron saint of firefighters and protector against fires, placed in a niche on the southeast gable wall. The statue dominated the mill from that time onward, but in 2002 it was stolen by an unknown perpetrator. The large mill building has survived without major alterations, retaining remnants of its original equipment, and today it stands in a state of disrepair.

It looked like I was going to end up as a piglet caretaker. Or chasing boars to ensure there was stock for breeding. But things turned out differently—as I discovered, the fire extinguisher has been empty since around 2020. Back then, the pigs must have been squealing, whining, eating, and getting fat.

🛷 I’m heading up the hill—not along a path or up stairs, but along a track that’s over 1,000 meters long. I’m walking to the top of the toboggan run. It was built for the bobsled and toboggan club. Its history dates back to September 1957. At first, people raced on a natural track, and then a concrete track was built. It has eight turns and two longer straightaways.

The roar of two-stroke engines, that unmistakable sound echoing through the streets. A thermoset body that truly never rusts. That distinctive smell of burnt oil that stays with you forever. That’s a Trabant.

⛵️ Summer is slowly approaching, and it’s time to start looking for a campground. This one is right next to a large body of water—perfect for cooling off. The prices here are reasonable. It’s just such a mess. It looks like someone threw a huge party here. It’s already clear they won’t be opening this year. They haven’t opened for several seasons now.

Another one of the many civil defense shelters. The place caught my attention the moment I entered the coordinates into the map. A pin appeared on the screen far beyond the village—a few inconspicuous buildings surrounded by woods and fields. Nothing around. That was exactly what appealed to me the most. When I arrived at the site, the silence felt almost unnatural. Gradually, several structures emerged among the trees, hidden behind a tall concrete fence topped with barbed wire. All that remained of the former electric fence, which was meant to stop any intruder, were empty insulators. Warning signs 🔒 “CAUTION: GUARDED PREMISES—DO NOT ENTER” and “CAUTION: DOGS ON PREMISES” clearly recalled a time when no outsiders were allowed here. For a moment, I just stood there and listened to my surroundings. No movement. Just a strange feeling that this place must have once been important. 🏴‍☠️ In the end, curiosity won out. The fence was tall, and the barbed wire at the top certainly wasn’t meant for visitors. Climbing over it was a small challenge in itself. As soon as I got inside, the atmosphere changed immediately. The abandoned buildings looked weary, as if they were waiting for the world to forget them completely. 🔦 Peeling concrete, broken entrances, and silence that swallowed every step. It soon became clear that the shelter was in poor condition. Yet this place had a strange power, as if it still held within it stories from a time when it was meant to serve as a last refuge.

Lizards ⚔️ PLDVK Model 53/59