U Trojzubce
U Trojzubce - Charcoal pit
The iron ore business in the 18th century also involved the production of charcoal in charcoal pits, since the smelting of iron ore in blast furnaces required enormous amounts of fuel. There were a number of charcoal pits in the forests around Hradčany. From local chroniclers we know that around 1786 over 50 people worked at 2 charcoal pits. In just one year, they managed to produce nearly 80 tonnes of charcoal. At the time, the landscape was more deforested. When we look around the calm and almost sleepy scenery nowadays, it seems almost unbelievable.
Note that...
The livelihood of the local people in Hradčany and its surroundings has always been tied to the forest and its resources. The sandy soil upon which you stand has never been suitable for agriculture. Only perennial plants like pines thrive here.
The virtual trail
The stop is part of the virtual trail that will lead you to places in the Ralsko Geopark that are associated with iron ore mining.
How to do it?
Download the app. The app is data intensive, we recommend downloading it while on Wi-Fi. Once you have downloaded the app, all you need to do is to find the relevant stop in the app and scan the QR code in the header of the board.