Skalky u Sedlce / Sedlec Rocks
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PALAVA AREA
The Pavlov Hills, in Czech also Pálava, surrounded by fertile vineyards, with their white limestone rocks, irises flowering in rock steppe bathed in sunshine, oak groves, ruins of medieval castles, unique architecture of the historical town of Mikulov and wine cellars in the surrounding villages are among the best-known and most frequently visited places in the Czech Republic. Little wonder, these features and the dry and warm climate give Pálava an almost Mediterranean character that cannot be found anywhere else in Bohemia or Moravia.
The Pavlov Hills are situated in the middle of the ancient cultural landscape of southern Moravia, which is one of the oldest inhabited areas in the Czech Republic. A hunting camp of the Stone Age mammoth hunters was situated between the modern-day villages of Dolní Vestonice and Pavlov, and lots of mammoth bones and remains of fireplaces, but also the world-famous Vestonice Venus statuette were left behind. The farmers appeared in this area very early, already in the Neolithic period, and in the 2nd century, a Roman military campsite existed on the flat hill above the left bank of the Dyje River near the no longer existing village of Mušov. Mikulov/Nikolsburg was one of the most important towns in Moravia during the Middle Ages and to this day remains a centre of Moravian wine production. Despite the intensive human activities, valuable parts of natural landscape have been preserved in the midst of the intensively cultivated countryside, mainly on the slopes of the Pavlov Hills and in the mildly rolling Milovice Hills east of Mikulov, serving as a refuge to many endangered flora and fauna species.
The Pálava Protected Landscape Area was established in 1976 on 83 km2 in order to protect natural and cultural monuments in the Pavlov Hills. Ten years later, it became the third place in the today’s Czech Republic to be listed as a UNESCO biosphere reserve as a part of the Man and Biosphere Programme. The entire area is included in the list of European Important Bird Areas and is likely to be included into a Special Protected Area according to the Birds Directive within Natura 2000. These facts show the exceptional importance of this small piece of nature and landscape in the Czech Republic.
The Pavlov Hills consist mainly of hard Jurassic limestone, which in certain places form scenic rock cliffs. The altitude difference between Devín Hill, with 554 m a. s. l. the highest point in Pálava, and the level of the lower water reservoir in the Nové Mlýny system of 390 m makes the limestone ridge of the Pavlov Hills a true dominant of the South Moravian lowland. Mesozoic limestones are surrounded by deposits from the Tertiary period, including mainly flysch argillites and sandstones that form the rolling Milovice Hills east of Mikulov. Calcareous loess from the last ice age has been preserved in many places; thick layers of loess with buried fossil soils were uncovered in the so-called Calendar of Ages near Dolní Vestonice. The northeast part of the protected landscape area protrudes into the Dyje floodplain, which consists of river sand and gravel from the Quaternary period mostly covered by flood loams and clay.
As Pálava is situated in the northwest edge of the Pannonian Lowland, in the warmest and almost the driest part of the Czech Republic, winegrowing is possible here, and many flora species that could not grow anywhere else in the Czech Republic occur here. The patchwork of dry rock grasslands, thermophilous forest fringe communities, xeric scrub. The remains of halophilous vegetation, which used to be quite common on saline pastures in southern Moravia, still survive on the western bank of the Nesyt pond near the village of Sedlec.¨
Along the Austrian border south of the village of Sedlce lies a long ridge surrounded by farmland. This area is of significant biological value and is protected as a Site of European interest. The main object of protection are the dry grasslands habitats. At this locality, there are two distinct grassland habitats – the sub-pannonian steppe grasslands and dry grasslands on calcareous substrates in which rare orchids are sometimes found.
SKALKY MONUMENT
The Skalky monument is remarkable for several reasons – it is formed by the remains of petrified of Litothamnium algae species, that inhabited this region in prehistoric era, as well as shells of Pecten latissimus. This type of limestone was widely used for buildings, stairs and statues in Mikulov or Lednice.
Due to the geographical position of the Pavlov Hills and the great diversity of habitats, many species that cannot be found anywhere else in the Czech Republic or species that were scientifically described for the first time in Pálava live here. Common Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus) and Grand Longicorn (Cerambyx cerdo), both disappearing from other parts of the country, are still among frequent species in the region. Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) and Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) are also very common here. Numerous species of bats find their home during summer and winter in fissures and caves in limestone cliffs, in hollow trees, and buildings. Pálava is also a home to the largest population of Syrian Woodpecker (Dendrocopos syriacus), Barred Warbler (Sylvia nisoria), and Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra) in the Czech Republic.
The most valuable parts of the landscape are protected as thirteen nature reserves and monuments, four of which are included in the strictest category of national nature reserves, five are nature reserves, and four are nature monuments.
ACCESS TO THIS PLACE
You can park your car at Parking waypoint coordinates and continue to the SIGN waypoint. Here you can read some interesting information about this place and start working on Question 3c). Follow the sandy path up and you will reach the GATE waypoint very shortly.
HOW TO LOG THIS CACHE
To log this cache, you need to:
1. Také a photo of YOU, YOUR GPS (or printed listing or whatever you use for navigation) and PALAVA HILLS behind you
2. Také a photo of YOU at the wooden gate
3. Write me via email numira@geocaching.cz answers for followng questions
a) what number (one digit) is engraved on the wooden gate? (it is approx. 1,5 m above ground)
b) Which chemical elements form limestone?
c) What is the elevation difference between waypoint SIGN and waypoint GATE?
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)