SOOS

Trip type: By car

Distance from KV: 52 km

A walk through the SOOS nature reserve lying six kilometres northeast of Františkovy Lázně is a trip to the times three million years ago. A vast, more than 200-hectar peat bog and moor can be found on the bottom of a dry lake in the area where the last active volcanoes on the Czech territory still existed in early Quaternary. 

Traces of the volcanic activity have been evident here until these days, mineral springs and, first of all, moffettes which people call mud volcanoes, being the most visible of them. Their murmur is a background sound typical of the place.

The SOOS nature reserve has been the object of natural scientists’ attention for more than 200 years and it has been a listed sight since 1964. The access is possible along a two-kilometre-long instructive path with nine stops which follows wooden footpaths and shows you round the most interesting parts of the peat bog.

So you can go through the moors past the biggest moffettes and mineral springs dry-shod and you can also taste water from the most famous of them, the Emperor’s Spring. However, those who like live nature, especially rare halophylic plants and birds will be satisfied. About a hundred kinds of birds nest here.

And the Geological Park as well as the Museum of Dinosaurs are worth visiting too.

The photos used originate from the www.kvpoint.cz website – a photo bank of Karlovy Vary Region.

Source: www.promenada.cz