Brtnice ice falls
Perhaps because this corner of Bohemian Switzerland offers attractions in the winter, ie outside the main tourist season, it is unjustly neglected by visitors. The surroundings of the village of Brtníky will turn into a magical landscape of ice falls in winter. So if you are planning a trip right here and in addition in the winter, be sure not to be discouraged by snowdrifts, snow drifts and sub-freezing temperatures. Only then can the local landscape reward you with a real experience in the form of a breathtaking view of colorful cascades of ice.
Information for visitors
Interesting facts Brtnice ice falls
The Brtnice ice falls can be found between Vlčí hora, the villages of Mikulášovice and Brtníky.
During the First Republic, wealthy Germans also rode sleighs to admire the Brtnice ice falls.
About the origin of the Brtnice ice falls
Ice falls do not occur in the traditional way as most frozen waterfalls. They are formed by water from melting snow. It usually soaks into sandstone rocks, as is the case, for example, in the Adršpach-Teplice rocks or in the Bohemian Paradise, but here it flows down the surface of the rocks and the frost creates cascades of icicles from it. As you correctly guess, the interplay of melting snow and frost plays an important role in the formation of ice falls, ie frost must not strike at once, but gradually. Part of the snow manages to thaw and then create another layer of cascade of ice.
The beautiful color of the ice falls is caused by the soil and silica sands, which are washed away by water flowing from the rocks.
The route to other ice falls
The Brtnice ice falls are probably the most famous natural phenomenon of this type in the area of Bohemian Switzerland and in the Czech Republic. There are more than ten of them around Brtníky and Vlčí potok.
Take the route from the Brtníky railway station and follow the red tourist sign to Brtníky and then along the green to the individual waterfalls, to which you will be led by turns from the green-marked route. For example, you will see:
Big and Small cascade
Curtain - an orange-ice cascade up to 8 meters high
Stable - here are the most orange and brownest ice falls
Bethlehem
Organ
Wolf wall - 30 meters wide and 2 meters high
The Great Ice Pillar - a real gem of the local ice falls, which are colored by an incredible palette of different colors
Castle treasure
Quail wall
The entire circuit through the Brtnice ice falls is about 12 km long.