Lake Macha

Machovo jezero was made in the fourteenth century on the order of Charles IV as a fishpond, Velky rybnik, and it is still technically that - dammed, shallow, warm and about two hundred and eighty hectares, with sandy shores because it lies in sandstone country. Its present name, used in official documents since 1961 although it was never formally renamed, honours Karel Hynek Macha, whose narrative poem Maj of 1836 - the central text of Czech Romanticism, known by heart in fragments across the country - is set in this landscape, with the ruined castle of Bezdez on the hill above standing in the poem. The lake became a summer resort in the twentieth century and it is now one of the busiest inland bathing places in Bohemia, with beaches at Doksy and Stare Splavy, boat trips, and a great deal of holiday accommodation. Around it are sandstone reserves and the Kokorinsko-Machuv kraj protected area.

History

In 1366 King Charles IV ordered a large pond to be made here, originally covering 300 ha. It was known as Velký rybník, the Big Pond, or Hirschberský rybník after the nearby town; the present name came into use after 1945 and, although no official renaming ever took place, has appeared in official documents since 1961. It honours the Romantic poet Karel Hynek Mácha, who was charmed by the landscape and set his most famous poem, Máj, here. In the 19th century there was a spa resort; until 1920 the area belonged to the Waldstein family, who allowed swimming in designated places, and the pond was fully opened for recreation in 1928 (Wikipedia, Lake Mácha).

What you'll find

• A fourteenth-century fishpond - dammed under Charles IV and still one technically.
• Sandy shores - the sandstone country giving beaches rather than mud.
• Macha's landscape - the setting of Maj, the central Czech Romantic poem.
• Bezdez above - the ruined castle on the hill in the poem.

When to go

June to September. A day.

What to expect

It is a busy resort in July and August, with crowded beaches and full accommodation. The water is shallow and warm, which means algae blooms in hot summers and occasional bathing bans. Check water quality reports.

Nearby

Bezdez castle is on the hill above; Kokorinsko is south.

Key facts