Interesting sights in Mosty and the surrounding area
Megoňky
The first mentions of stone balls date back to 1995. The quarry is located on the Czech-Slovak border, in the Turzovská highland. The Megoňky site, together with the nearby village of Klokočov, forms a continuous strip of about 250 m with the occurrence of stone balls. This is currently the largest site of stone balls in Europe. Regular spherical objects can be seen directly in the rock walls of the quarry and in its surroundings. Originally, there were about 30 balls with a diameter of 25 to 300 cm, but many of them have been taken away by people and now they adorn many gardens.
The largest and most dominant stone sphere with a diameter of 3 m is still in the quarry. Its body is made of a coarse-grained conglomerate of stone grains from 2 to 4 cm, while the surface has a fine-grained finish. It is divided into two halves as if by an ideal cut. During the mining period, spherical objects with a diameter of up to 5 m were exposed and blasted in the quarry. According to geologists, the spheres could have been formed by "some tension and rotation in the rock", according to other experts, it is a "spherical separation of the rock", which is also indicated on tourist maps of the Moravian-Silesian Beskydy Mountains.
To the west of the described sphere, another one with a smooth surface was exposed. Its visible part is about 25 cm high. I estimate its diameter to be approximately 85 centimeters. Other objects embedded in the rock walls can be seen, and high in the northern wall is the bed of a "fallen" sphere with an estimated diameter of 5 m. The entire Kysucko region is geologically very interesting, especially famous for the occurrence of conglomerates of various exotic minerals that are not found in the near or far vicinity.
A stone sphere with a diameter of 120 centimeters hangs in a rock block above a quarry near the state border. Other preserved spherical objects are nearby. The upper hemisphere exposed to water and frost is damaged, but the lower protected part with a fine-grained finish is in good condition.
Chapels, crosses
It is known that these small sacral structures were built in locations that needed some protection from higher places, marked a sacred space and stood in areas separating the "known" world from the "alien, dangerous". These were mainly areas around churches and cemeteries, marking the borders of villages and settlements, and crossroads.
In Mosty u Jablunkova we can find a number of small sacral structures:
Chapel of St. Peter and Paul, brick, circular ground plan, Šance, from 1889, on June 29th, a field mass is held here every year on the patron saint's day
small box chapel, Virgin Mary, by the main road,
small wooden chapel of St. John the Baptist, Bagno, from 1911
statue of St. John of Nepomuk, by the main road
stone cross, Šance, renovated 1954
stone cross, by the border with Slovakia
stone cross, from 1946
stone cross, in front of the parish church of St. Hedviky
stone cross, from 1931
stone cross, above the tunnel
wooden cross, under the sculpture of Christ, a box with a picture, by the main road
cross, in the garden of the Krejčí family, from 1898
Devil's Mills rock formation
These crevice caves are located in the Gírová ridge massif (840 m above sea level). They lie on the southern slope about 150 meters below the peak, above the tourist hut and are a unique natural phenomenon in the Těšín part of the Beskydy Mountains.
On some ridges and slopes in the Beskydy Mountains, features of destructive development are evident. This is due to the continental northern glacier, which intervened in our territory even twice in the older Quaternary period and its tongues reached the foothills of the Beskydy Mountains. After the glacier retreated, when climatic conditions in the Beskydy Mountains became milder, the swollen clayey inserts between the sandstones became slippery and helped to further shift the rocks along the slope. In this way, systems of cracks and cavities were created, which are known today as pseudokarst crack caves. This is how extensive rock formations with caves on Gírová were created, which local mountaineers once called the Devil's Mill. According to legend, bandits hid here during the time of the Jánošík family, and in another period the rocks served devils who intended to "grind" disobedient humanity in their stone mills. Witches also regularly flew over and perhaps even landed here.
So far, the most suitable access to the Devil's Mill is from the Gírová tourist cottage along old-growth beech trees into the spruce forest and a path in about five minutes takes us to the central part of the Devil's Mill.
And what is the most attractive thing about Devil's Mill's? There are several caves that anyone can see from the outside. They are explored by speleologists, most of them have vertical fissures and are therefore dangerous for ordinary visitors. However, there is also a fissure cave that is accessible for children and slimmer people. It is about 9 m long, breaks in half of its length and rises upwards towards the east.
The rocks are mainly used by climbers who test their skills here.
Historical Fortification of Šance
"... it is written in the 16th century, the Czech lands were under the control of Austria-Hungary and the Jablunkov Pass gained in commercial and military importance. At the time of the rampage of Turkish troops, bloodthirsty rapists plundering Hungarian lands up to Žilina. In these turbulent times, the history of the originally stone walls, fortresses and ditches built on the orders of the Teschen prince Adam Václav begins to be written."
"The Jablunkov Pass has been known to the surrounding nations since ancient times..."
... it is said that since ancient times the road from Hungary to the northern Slavic lands led through here. Already during the times of the Roman Empire, armed bands of Roman soldiers traveled here with trade expeditions.
During the turbulent times of the Turkish military campaigns, the population of the Principality of Cieszyn trembled with fear that wild hordes of foreign rapists, robbing, burning and murdering throughout the Hungarian lands as far as Žilina, would invade peaceful Silesia through the Jablunkov Pass. Therefore, in 1578, Prince Adam Václav of Cieszyn had the roads in the deep border forests blocked with roadblocks, and at the border crossing near Mosty u Jablunkov, solid stone walls and fortresses protected by ramparts and deep ditches were built - Stará šance.
The last time the walls were heavily occupied was in 1741 during the Silesian War, when Silesia was conquered by the Prussian army, which also invaded Jablunkov. They occupied the city and from there launched an attack on the walls at Mosty. The Prussian army occupied the walls and, having destroyed them, withdrew to the north.
Interesting facts
The Jablunkov Pass fortifications include 8 buildings, the essential parts of which have been preserved to this day: Velká šance – Mosty u Jablunkova, Malá šance – Valy Čierne, Stará šance – Svrčinovec, Megoňky (Čadca), Mosty – Dolina, Bukovec (V Sušu, na Kempě, na Dílku).
Protected areas in Mosty
Motyčanka Nature Reserve
A protected area declared in 1990 with an area of 0.22 ha. It is a waterlogged meadow on slightly sloping slopes in the area of the transition of the Moravian-Silesian Beskydy Mountains to the Jablunkov Gorge. It is located at an altitude of 579 - 583 m. The purpose of protection is to preserve the entire wetland ecosystem, which is the habitat of a number of rare, endangered, protected, but also quite common species of plants and animals.
Vřesová stráň Nature Reserve
Declared in 1990, where there are preserved wetlands with stands of sedge, heath, alder stands on an area of 7.8 ha.
Pod hájenkou Kyčera Nature Reserve
A small-scale protected area outside the Beskydy Protected Landscape Area. Overgrown peat bog, where there is a flowery beech stand.
Filůvka Natural Monument in Mosty u Jablunkova
In the easternmost part of the Beskydy Protected Landscape Area in the cadastre of the village of Mosty u Jablunkova, in the secluded Filůvka, the Filůvka Natural Monument was declared on 5 August 2016 by the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic. It covers almost 7 hectares and consists of meadows and pastures with a mosaic of waterlogged and peaty areas, previously a common part of the agricultural landscape of the Beskydy foothills.
At the beginning of the long journey to the declaration of a natural monument was a request from one of the landowners for afforestation. Petr Chytil, a botanist of the Beskydy Protected Landscape Area Administration, went to the site, who was attracted at first sight by the beautiful landscape backdrop and, upon closer inspection, by the mass occurrence of some protected plants. For example, the severely endangered wood louse, the carnivorous round-leaved sundew or the May orchid were found here.
Afforestation was out of the question, and therefore cooperation was agreed with the owner and he was also offered a contribution for management from the Landscape Care Program (PPK). The co-owner, Ing. Ladislav Gavlas, decided to take care of the land himself and the protection of the local nature became literally a hobby for him. And so today, not only does he care for the meadows, but he also strives to return the stream to its original bed, straightened as part of the land reclamation in the 1960s. In addition, he proudly and lovingly shows these meadows to visitors, which are indispensable for the picturesqueness of Filůvka. As the quality of the meadows on Filůvka improved, other rare species were gradually recorded, such as the common cicada, the spotted newt, the field swift or the common thornbill. Logically, the idea of declaring Filůvka a natural monument arose.
A ski resort full of adrenaline and fun
Beautiful nature, culinary specialties of local cuisine and active relaxation with the whole family. Dream or reality? Visit the Mosty Ski Resort, open all year round, and you will find challenging attractions with a good dose of adrenaline and enjoyable fun.
For the little ones there is a children's corner. All age categories will be pleased with the bobsleigh track with year-round operation, a four-seater cable car, which can also be used for bicycles, bungee and children's trampolines, archery, aquazorbing, rodeo or a pump track, where you can ride bicycles, roller skates, scooters and skateboards.
The ski resort also includes a Bikepark with singletracks. There are two trails available, Boar (Kančí) and Fox (Liščí)—trails full of off-camber turns, berms, and jumps carved through the forest, featuring a hard-packed surface that is ridable even on a rigid bike.
The ski area offers the possibility of active relaxation all day long, you will also find yourself very well here and you can even spend the night in the beautiful surroundings of the hotel built in the Gorol style.
In the winter season, skiing enthusiasts will find 3 maintained slopes in the SKI area with a total length of 2100 m with artificial snow and intensive lighting. The offer is complemented by a snow park, ski school, rental and mountain service station. There are perfectly maintained cross-country trails in the immediate vicinity of the area, and the 2km long circuit is also illuminated.
History of the Skalka chalet
The most prominent mountain ridge of the Těšín Beskydy on the Moravian-Slovakian border is the Velký Polom ridge, which we can see from afar when we arrive at the Jablunkov Pass. The Velký Polom area includes ridges facing west, north, northeast and southeast, into the Lomná valley, Mosty u Jablunkova and into the Kysuce basin. To the northeast at an altitude of 932 m lies the peak of Skalka.
Under the Great Polom The Czechoslovak Tourist Club in Orlová built a tourist shelter in 1924, and the German tourist association Beskidenverein, section Český Těšín, came up with the idea of building their own hut in the immediate vicinity of this Czech shelter. However, this idea was eventually abandoned and a meadow sloping to the south, about 2 km away, was chosen under the peak of Skalka.
The construction of the cottage began in the spring of 1928 and it was opened on October 7 of the same year. It was a large building, made of wood, three floors with a stone basement and attic. On the ground floor there was a restaurant with a buffet and a kitchen, on the upper floors there were 12 guest rooms, 3 bedrooms with 60 beds and the same number of emergency places; in the basement there was a warehouse, a room for storing skis, a drying room and a bathroom. Electricity and water were installed in the cottage. The cottage was also in operation during World War II and at the end of the occupation, German army soldiers were stationed there. After the war, it became the property of the Czech Tourist Board. After the Czech Tourist Board was liquidated after 1948, the cottage changed hands several times.
In 1991, the cottage was taken over by the Czech Tourist Board - Beskydy Region. Since October 1994, the cottage has been undergoing extensive self-help reconstruction, and since February 1998, the cottage was to be open to the public, including the accommodation area.
However, on Wednesday, January 7, 1998, for unknown reasons, the cottage burned to the ground. At that time, no one was in the cottage, and a random tourist noticed the fire, who immediately reported the incident. After about 40 minutes, the first fire truck arrived at the cottage. At that time, flames were shooting out of all the windows and part of the roof had already collapsed. At that time, there was about 15 centimeters of snow on Skalka and in the surrounding area, which made access very difficult. In the end, the firefighters managed to save small buildings, including the new boiler room. Thanks to the immense dedication of volunteers and tourists, the municipal office in Mosty u Jablunkova and its then mayor, other organizations and financial assistance in the form of donations, a new cottage was built and since Christmas 1999 the restaurant has been open and subsequently the accommodation part has been completed and other necessary modifications have been made. The new building was built on the original foundations, is brick and paneled with wood so that the building, which is a copy of the original wooden structure from 1928, does not differ in any way.
The legend of the collapsed castle in Mosty
According to legend, many centuries ago there was a strong princely castle here. Its lord and ruler had three daughters who were beautiful, but also conceited, imperious and very wasteful.
Once a ball was to be held at the castle. Preparations for this event were in full swing. The prince's daughters also thought about how they would amaze everyone, until one of them came up with the idea of having unprecedented slippers made for her. And from bread crust. In vain their father tried to persuade them that bread was a gift from God and it was not right to dishonor it in this way. The daughters would not be dissuaded.
On the day of the ball, a poor woman came to the gate and begged for a little food for her hungry children. The prince's daughters walked past her with contempt and turned their heads away from her in disdain. The beggar shook her fist at them and cursed them.
Then, when the fun was at its best and the prince's daughters wanted to dance, they had barely stepped onto the dance floor when hellish noises were heard and the entire castle, including all the dancers, sank underground and no one saw it again.