A hidden gem, Zvolenˇves, stands here before you. You may be surprised to know that this village dates back to the 1318. Just imagine the stories that Zvolenˇves has witnessed, and the people whose lives it has touched. During its long history, it was part of a significant aristocratic estate, with lords like Vican of Zvolenˇves, John of Benˇov, and even Leopold II, the Grand Duke of Tuscany. But Zvolenˇves wasn’t just a place of nobility. It was a place of industry, too. In the 1850s, a gigantic sugar factory was built here, one of the biggest in the whole country at the time. This factory was a source of both pride and misfortune. It employed many people, but it was also destroyed by a devastating fire. Today, the ruins stand as a reminder of this time, and it is perhaps the most striking feature of Zvolenˇves. In recent years, it has been restored, but not fully. And although once it served as a symbol of progress and modernity, it is now a symbol of Zvolenˇves’s past, a fascinating example of a Czech village with a rich history and a quiet aura.
Lochkovský potok
Listen closely. Have you ever felt the hush of a hidden stream a secret whispered among the trees? That’s the