Čertův Důl: Mining History and Trails in the Valley

At the foot of Srázný, near the village of Čertův Důl, there is a historic mining site with a small, partially underground limestone quarry.

History

Čertův Důl was historically known by the German name Geiersgraben. In the 1950s and 1960s, exploration work to prospect for uranium mineralization was carried out on the slopes of Srázný in the vicinity of Čertův Důl.

The historic workings of Čertův Důl lead into an approximately 8-meter-long underground chamber. The historic quarry extends for about 50 meters and follows an approximate northeast–southwest direction. Thus, both the underground chamber and the extent and orientation of the quarry form part of the site's visible historic character.

Landscape

Čertův Důl lies in the Orlické hory Protected Landscape Area, in MKR 1.7, the settled part of the now largely overgrown valley of the Čertovodolský potok. The mining site is located on the eastern slope of Srázný, linking the historic site with the valley area and its trails.

The partially underground workings, the overgrown valley area, and the area's former use for mining represent different spatial features of the same place. At Srázný, concrete traces of mining and the present-day landscape of Čertův Důl thus meet directly.

Orientation and Access

The historic mining site lies near the blue hiking trail at the upper end of Čertův Důl. The nearest bus stop is Zdobnice, hotel, approximately 2.5 km away. The nearest railway stations or stops are in Rokytnice v Orlických horách, Pěčín, and Rychnov nad Kněžnou, approximately 16 to 20 km away.

For local orientation, there is a trail at the upper end of the valley, as well as a nearby bus stop and more distant railway stations or stops. The approximate distances show the difference between the site's immediate surroundings and the listed transport points without equating the different means of transport.

Hiking and Cycling Routes

The marked blue hiking trail leads from Čertův Důl to Orlické Záhoří; Orlické Záhoří is listed as 6.5 km away. Cycling route 4308 continues via Pod Homolí to Velká Deštná or Anenský vrch.

The hiking trail and cycling route offer different directions and modes of travel. The hiking trail is associated with a specific destination and a stated distance, while the cycling route continues via Pod Homolí to two named destinations. This makes it possible to distinguish between a single hiking connection and a branching cycling connection for day planning based on destination, activity, and distance.

The combination of the mining site, valley trail, and cycling route shapes orientation in Čertův Důl. The information on the bus stop, railway stations, and stops lists the various starting points for travel separately.

For the broader travel overview: Zdobnice.