6 The Hučava River with Rocks, Falls and Legends

Discovered for rokling.cz by Průzkumníklára.

From the bus stop “Jindřichov, osada Františkov”, follow the asphalt road that skirts the Hučava River. On your left, you will pass the Pasák natural monument – rock formations that were declared a nature reserve in 1982. The object of protection is the most extensive and most interesting rock formation of the Hrubý Jeseník Mountains. Previously, you could see many climbers climbing more than 30m high rock walls here, but today this activity is forbidden due to the protection of nature.

The most famous rock is the legendary Pasák (= ”Shepherd”). According to legend, a shepherd wanted to marry his sister to a rich official for money, but she didn’t want to because she loved a poor boy, so she ran away. When her brother caught up with her in the rocks, she cursed him and he is said to have turned to stone on the spot. The rock does indeed resemble a shepherd with a staff in his hand. There are other rocks named according to their shape: the Anvil or the Stove. If you continue, another nature reserve will appear on your right – Pod Slunečnou strání (= “Under the Sunny Slope”). Here the area is protected because of the original mixed forest. The vegetation here is over 180 years old and the most common trees are spruces, beeches, maples and firs. It is also the only natural habitat in the Jeseníky Mountains for the heart lime tree. The black stork and the wood pigeon are also protected, as well as the moss vegetation on the rockeries.

Continue along the asphalt path to a chapel, then you can continue along the stream bed, which is wider at the beginning, but gradually narrows and the water becomes stronger and wilder. When you pass the pond U Mlýna, you will meet another nature reserve on your right, Františkov, which protects the acid spruce and beech forest and woodpeckers.

Continue along the Hučava further upstream. The Hučava flows through a mixed forest and forms many cascades and waterfalls. Along the way, you will pass the remains of the glassmaking settlement of Josefová and you can see a special protected spruce tree – its age ranges between 180 and 210 years, its height is up to 34 metres and the circumference of the trunk up to 370 cm. It was declared protected in 1982 and is located a short distance from the old Josefová railway bridge.

Not far from Josefová comes the first big waterfalls – Hučava Falls. The waterfalls were created at the place where the stream crosses the tectonic fault perpendicularly. The hard layered orthorhombs above the fault split off in a slab-like manner and form cascading steps, below which there is a nearly two-metre high waterfall. A series of cascades follow and the stream forks into two arms – continue through the right one. But if you have time, you can explore the left one and then return the same way. The higher you get, the more beautiful and cleaner the nature is. The forest is completely bright green and teeming with life – water. The riverbed is lined with many rocks and boulders.

From the source of the Hučava River, follow the yellow hiking trail to the top of Vozka, which is also so named because of its reputation. In the time of famine, it is said that the cart used to put loaves of bread under the wheels here so that it would not fall into the mud.

From the source of the Hučava River, follow the yellow trail to the top of Vozka (= “Coachman”) Mountain, which is also named because of a legend. During the famine, it is said that a coachman put loaves of bread under the wheels of his wagon here so that he would not get stuck in the mud and reach the village. After this terrible act, a storm broke out and the man and his horses turned into stone on the spot. Vozka is a 7-metre high rock, from where you can see a beautiful view of Kralický Sněžník Mountain and the Krkonoše and Beskydy Mountains. About 500 metres from the top there is the highest peat bog in the Jeseníky Mountains.

From the top, descend along the green hiking trail to the “Přední Alojzov” crossroads, from where you continue along the educative trail Pasák and then along the asphalt path to the finish.