Holany

A village at the eastern end of the Holany pond system — a chain of fishponds built between the 15th and 17th centuries, now a quiet landscape of water, reeds and birds.

Holany gives its name to the Holanské rybníky, a system of fishponds strung along the Bobří potok between Stvolínky in the west and Holany and Zahrádky in the east. The chain was built up gradually from the 15th to the mid-17th century — originally 23 ponds, of which the larger survivors include the Dolanský, Milčanský, Holanský and Hrázský ponds. Today it is a quiet, level landscape of water, reed beds and waterfowl, with a stone bridge at the Hrázský pond and swimming in season at the Holanský and Milčanský ponds. The flat lanes along the dikes make easy walking between the surrounding hills — Vlhošť and Ronov both stand in view.