The Educational Trail Bludná
Horní Blatná Water Channel
The Stop situation in the map
A 13 km long channel, which supplied water for mining operations and dressing plant equipment from Boží Dar to Horní Blatná, is a unique technical monument from the mid-16th century. The majority of mines at Bludná used the water from the channel primarily to operate water wheels and stamp mills.
The Channel in the area of iron and tin ore mines in Bludná
In the 16th century, sufficient hydropower was necessary for the mining and processing of the ore in the mining districts. The water from natural watercourses and artificial canals was used not only to operate water-powered mining machinery and dressing plants, but also to transport timber and firewood. That was also the case of the Horní Blatná tin district, for which the water channel was dug from the eastern edge of the Boží Dar Peat Bog through Myslivny, Rýžovna and Bludná to the northern slope of the Blatenský Vrch Hill as far as Horní Blatná. In Horní Blatná, the channel is piped into Blatenský Stream.
Overflow structure – bridging the creek at Bludná
The water channel was used for centuries. It was maintained on a regular basis until 1945, later mainly as a source of water for both industrial operations and fire protection. In 1980, it was declared as Technical Monument and completely reconstructed in 1995–2001. A nature trail follows the channel. The trail starts at Boží Dar and is connected to the Vlčí Jámy Nature Trail near Horní Blatná.
This text was written by Michal Urban.
