Nature trail around the active limestone quarry
A walk that combines peaceful countryside and the mining history of Černý Důl. It offers unusual views of the active quarry and the surrounding landscape, as well as attractive views across Černý Důl itself.
Key information
Distance: 4.2 km
Duration: approx. 1.5 hours
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
All-terrain pushchair: Yes
Route description
The walk starts on the square in Černý Důl, where you join the Okolo lomu (Around the Quarry) trail. The path follows a nature trail around the active limestone quarry, with views gradually opening out over the quarry landscape and the valley below.
Several information panels along the way introduce the history of limestone quarrying here, as well as the local natural environment. One of the most interesting sights is the aerial freight ropeway, which carries limestone from the quarry down into the valley.
The trail then follows the edge of the ski slope before returning to the centre of the town.
Zlaťák’s tip
On the way back, look out for the discreet turn-off to the Vápenická (Limestone) Trail, just below the refreshment kiosk by the ski slope. This short trail is about 1 kilometre long and leads to old lime kilns and the original quarry.
It's tucked away and easy to miss, so most visitors walk straight past. Will you manage to find it?
The freight ropeway from Černý Důl to Kunčice nad Labem is more than 8 kilometres long, making it the longest industrial aerial ropeway in Central Europe. It is also the last operating circulating freight ropeway in the Czech Republic. Its two-cable system uses 265 carriers to transport limestone continuously from the quarry in Černý Důl to the limeworks in Kunčice nad Labem, where it is processed into ground limestone and mortar mixes.
What makes it especially interesting is the way it is powered. The ropeway works by gravity: the weight of the loaded carriers travelling downhill pulls the empty carriers back up.
It is a simple but remarkably efficient piece of engineering. For more than sixty years, it has carried limestone reliably without the need for extra energy to move the carriers. Each carrier, loaded with hundreds of kilograms of limestone, descends under its own weight and pulls an empty carrier uphill in return. In a single working shift, the ropeway can transport up to 800 tonnes of stone.