The transformation of Čekalíkovský Pond and its surroundings

What the site used to look like

The site of the new park consisted of three parts – an abandoned and dilapidated allotment garden colony, Čekalíkovský Pond itself and its immediate surroundings, and the access road and car park by the block of flats. The allotment garden colony contained several fenced-off plots with dilapidated summerhouses, old fruit trees and vegetable beds. The pond was in a poor state of repair and had been permanently drained. The bottom of the reservoir was covered in sediment and overgrown with wetland vegetation. The side embankment was significantly damaged by tree roots and stumps. The unsightly area around the tyre service centre and the block of flats was being used as an illegal rubbish tip.

 Photo: S. D. Břeň

A pleasant environment for relaxation

The site, including the pond, has undergone a complete restoration. The revitalisation involved planting both scattered and extensive vegetation, constructing a completely new network of paths, and adding small-scale architectural features. The main aim was to create a pleasant, nature-inspired park in the city centre, dominated by Čekalíkovský Pond. The park offers a wide range of predominantly leisurely activities. It is equipped with modern street furniture and play features; mainly native species of trees, shrubs and herbs have been newly planted, and water represents the key element of the site with great potential. A gazebo invites visitors to sit and relax, the promenade is lit by new street lighting, the site also features a sculpture group, and the street furniture has been expanded to include bins for general and recycling waste. On the edges of the site – on Březnická and Milínská Streets – new car parks with capacities of 12 and 33 parking spaces have been created.

Photo: S. D. Břeň

The Partnership between Příbram and Valle di Ledra

The newly built park pays tribute to the shared history of the town of Příbram and the Italian Valle di Ledra, which dates back to the early 20th century. On 23 May 1915, the Kingdom of Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary. The Austrian authorities immediately issued an order to evacuate 75,000 civilians from the Trentino region to the safer inland areas of the monarchy. This also affected around three thousand women, children and elderly people from the Alpine valley near Lake Ledra. On 25 May 1915, trains brought the evacuees to Příbram. Around 400 arrived; 192 remained in Příbram, whilst 162 refugees were allocated to Březová Hora (by the end of the year, following the arrival of further Italians from neighbouring villages, there were 200 there). Further information on the exodus of Italians to Bohemia and on the Valle di Ledro region can be found on the information panels entitled ‘The Mountain Valley of Valle di Ledro’ and ‘The Exodus of the Inhabitants of Valle di Ledra to Bohemia’.

The Transformation of Čekalíkovský Pond and Its Surroundings

What the Site Used to Look Like before

The new park area comprised three parts: the abandoned and dilapidated allotment garden, Čekalíkovský Pond itself and its immediate surroundings, and the access road and car park near the residential building. Within the allotment garden, there were several fenced-off plots of land with dilapidated chalets, old fruit trees and vegetable beds. The pond was in a poor state of repair and permanently drained. The bottom of the pond was covered with sediment and overgrown with wetland vegetation. The side embankment was significantly damaged by tree roots and stumps. The unsightly surroundings of the tyre repair shop and the apartment block were being used as an illegal rubbish tip.

A Pleasant Environment for Relaxation

The area, including the pond, has undergone a complete renovation. The revitalisation involved the planting of groundcover and surface vegetation, the construction of a completely new road network and the installation of small architectural features. The main objective was to create a pleasant park in the centre of the town with a natural feel, dominated by Čekalíkovský Pond. The park offers a range of rather peaceful activities. It is equipped with modern street furniture and play features; mostly native species of trees, shrubs and herbs have been newly planted; and the water is a key feature of the area with great potential. A gazebo invites visitors to enjoy the seating area; the promenade is illuminated by new street lighting; a sculpture is also part of the area; and the street furniture has been expanded to include a communal waste bin and a recycling bin. New car parks with a capacity of 12 and 33 spaces have been created on the outskirts of the area – on Březnická and Milínská streets.

Partnership between Příbram and Valle di Ledro

The park that has been built is a tribute to the shared history of the town of Příbram and the Italian Valle di Ledro, which dates back to the early 20th century. On 23 May 1915, the Kingdom of Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary. The Austrian authorities immediately ordered the evacuation of 75,000 civilians from the Trident area to the safer inland regions of the monarchy. This also included around three thousand women, children and elderly people from the Alpine valley near Lake Ledro. On 25 May 1915, trains brought the refugees to Příbram. Around 400 arrived; 192 remained in Příbram, whilst 162 refugees were sent to Březové Hory (by the end of the year, following the arrival of other Italians from the surrounding villages, their number had risen to 200). For further information on the exodus of Italians to Bohemia and the Valle di Ledro area, see the display panels entitled ‘The Mountain Valley of Valle di Ledro’ and ‘Exodus of the inhabitants of Valle di Ledro to Bohemia’.

Transformation of the pond and its surroundings

What the area used to be like

The area of the new park consisted of three parts: one comprised abandoned and uncultivated vegetable gardens; another comprised the Čekalíkovský pond and its immediate surroundings; and the third comprised the path leading to the car park of the apartment block situated further up.  The land occupied by the vegetable gardens consisted of several fenced-off plots with dilapidated sheds, old fruit trees and vegetable beds. The pond was in a poor state of repair and permanently dry. The bottom of the pond was covered with sediment and marsh vegetation. The side embankment had been significantly damaged by tree roots and stumps.

The unsightly area near the block of flats and the tyre shop was being used as a rubbish tip.

A pleasant environment for relaxation

The area, including the pond, has been completely renovated. The redevelopment involved establishing suitable vegetation, constructing a completely new network of paths and installing small-scale architectural features. The main objective was to create a pleasant park in the city centre with a natural atmosphere, the dominant feature of which is the Čekalíkovský pond. The park offers a whole range of rather peaceful activities. It is equipped with modern facilities and play features; mainly native species of trees, shrubs and aromatic herbs have recently been planted, and water is the area’s central feature. A gazebo invites visitors to sit down, whilst the promenade is illuminated by new street lighting. The area also features a sculpture commemorating the exodus of the people of Ledry. Street furniture has been expanded to include bins for separate waste collection. On the outskirts of the area, on Březnická and Milínská Streets, new car parks have been created with a capacity of 12 and 33 parking spaces respectively.

Twinning of Příbram and the Ledro Valley

The park commemorates the shared history of the town of Příbram and the Ledro Valley in Italy, which dates back to the early 20th century. On 23 May 1915, the Kingdom of Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary. The Austrian authorities immediately ordered the evacuation of 75,000 civilians from Trentino, which was part of the Empire, to safer areas within the monarchy’s territory. The measure also affected around three thousand women, children and elderly people from the Ledro Valley. On 25 May 1915, trains transported the refugees to Příbram. There were around 400 of them; 192 remained in Příbram, whilst 162 refugees were assigned to Březové Hory (by the end of the year, following the arrival of further Italians from neighbouring villages, their number had risen to 200). Further information on the exodus of Italians to Bohemia and from the Ledro Valley can be found on the information panels entitled: Mountain Valley – Ledro Valley and Exodus of the inhabitants of the Ledro Valley to Bohemia.