Naučná stezka Zlatý kůň
Zlatý kůň – the peak
The top of the hill Zlatý kůň offers a nice view into the surrounding
landscape. The landscape relief has been created in relation to the geological
structure. The nearest surroundings of Zlatý kůň is made of furrowed
paleozoic layers of silurian and devonian. The hill peaks are found typically in
downward folds (in synclines) and the valleys on the other hand in the uplifted
folds (anticlines). This phenomenon is called geological inversion of the
landscape relief. In soft shales of ordovician that are easier to wash away were
two wide valleys created. On the northern side is the basin Berounská kotlina
located, which goes further through Králův Dvůr to Zdice and separates the
region of Český kras from the region of Křivoklátsko. On the southern side
there is another valley, Svinařský úval, which leads from Řevnice to
Hostomice. A brook Litavka used to flow there in the lower quaternary Period.
Svinařský úval separates Český kras from the mountain range Hřebeny, which
are, as well as Křivoklátsko, predominantly by solid rocks of ordovician,
proterozoical sea sediments and vulcanites formed. The top of Zlatý kůň is by
stratified, light grey and sporadically pinkish acanthopygical limestones formed
(Choteč formation, eifel stage, middle devonian). Acanthopygical limestones are
placed in layers on the greyish and here and there reddish Suchomasty limestones
(Dalej-Třebotov formation, early devonian).
Water formed the upper layer of Koněprusy caves in both formations of
stratified limestones. At the end of 16th century was here a money laundering
workroom established, where the silver coins were falsified, so called penízy.
The original masked entrance into the mint was to the right from the access path
not far from the hill top. According to the myth, the entrance was discovered by
a shepherd. The money launderers covered nevertheless the entrance by a stone
and the mint was re-discovered only in the 20th century.
