Educational trail around the Olšina pond

Welcome to Olšina
Are you not tempted to squeeze through the crowds in Český Krumlov's streets, and does Lipno seem too touristy? Try the Educational Trail around Olšina Pond. Close to the Lipno reservoir, yet discreetly located on the former territory of a military training area now open to the public. A bit off the main road, but right by the train stop. In a protected landscape area, surrounded by the enchanting environment of a Šumava pond, wetlands, forests, and peat bogs.

We find ourselves at the platform, almost by the pond. It is morning, and tufts of mist hover over the pond. The train, with its whistle, disappears around a bend, and we set off along the path by the pond's shore towards its dam. At the beginning of the trail stands a totem, a tall wooden post with directional signs and information, marking the various sections of the trail.

The small village of Olšina consists of only a few buildings, one of which is the fishing bastion that we pass by. We cross the pond dam and approach the info center. Inside, there is an exhibition dedicated to the local diverse bird population. Next to the info center is another totem with different colors. We do not yet know that there are a total of eight totems, colorfully distinguishing the individual sections of the trail, each with its own natural characteristics.

The path around the adjacent recreational facility, lined with low trees, leads us through a pasture. We leave the village and gently descend towards the pond. The path transforms into a wooden walkway, which accompanies us over the overgrown wetland at the pond's shore and into the forest. The riparian forest gradually transitions into a marshy meadow. From the path, wooden walkways branch off to the pond in two places, even extending a bit into it, as they lead to piers and also a floating platform a short distance from the shore, to which one can pull oneself. Along the path, there are simple yet engaging metal info panels featuring various points of interest.

We emerge from the forest directly at the pond, where the stream Olšina flows in. From a distance, we can see gathered branches at the stream's mouth, perhaps a beaver dam? In reality, it is a bridge that takes us to the other side of the stream. The path transitions into a wooden walkway, occasionally featuring a missing plank replaced by an educational metal element with a natural theme, such as animal track casts. We continue to a viewpoint, which consists of a short elevated section of the walkway. On the left side, expansive peatland stretches out, while on the right side lies the calm and dark surface of the pond. The presence of water all around is felt with every step. For those who feel that the elevated walkway is not enough for looking around and soaking in the surrounding landscape, they can climb up to a tree trunk with a lookout pot. However, it is necessary to jump over the wetland using driven stakes. We climb up a narrow ascending bridge into a large birdhouse, where we rest and gaze at the pond from a slightly different bird's-eye perspective.