Hi, I wrote this post in English and Slovak language
Not far from Spiš Castle, there is a small hill. Even from a distance, you can notice that it is somewhat special. No trees grow on it, and there is a chapel at the top. Part of its slope is covered in white rock. This rock is travertine, and today I will write about our trip to the protected area called Sivá Brada.
We had passed Sivá Brada many times but never stopped there. However, it is a unique and interesting place. This summer, I took my children there on a trip. It’s not a zoo or a playground, but kids can have fun almost anywhere if they are properly motivated.
As soon as we got out of the car, we went to look at the geyser. In the past, water would spray out of it at regular intervals. Now, it only springs up, but today it was completely dry.
Sivá Brada is a hill that has been growing continuously for over 10,000 years. It is a living travertine surface that keeps expanding thanks to the mineral water springing from it. Three springs emerge here, and all three are said to have healing properties. In the past, there was a spa in this area. During the drilling and search for water to supply the spa, they encountered a pressurized spring. This led to the creation of a geyser, which reaches a depth of up to 132 meters.
The spa no longer exists, but the water still flows. Over the years, the water has created a travertine hill 25 meters high. The geyser once sprayed water up to 15 meters into the air. That must have been a sight. During one spray, it could push out up to 1,000 liters of water. It’s a shame that now it only springs up.
However, water emerges in several places, which is why you can find travertine mounds on the other side of the hill as well. They are not as large, but you can take some lovely photos of them.
My children are content with even a small pond. They brought toys from home and are testing the water. They stirred up the surface, and the water turned white. Travertine is everywhere.
However, I found out that travertine is very hard to get off pants. It wouldn’t be my kids if, within five minutes of being here, they hadn’t fallen on their bottoms and gotten completely white. Oh well, I didn’t bring spare clothes, so they’ll have to manage.
Thanks to this spring, the protected area is home to several specific plant species that contribute to biodiversity. Some are typical for coastal areas, such as Samolus valerandi. Others are plants that grow only on limestone or travertine substrates, like Carex humilis or Staphylea pinnata.
What I like most about this place is its photogenic nature. The white travertine creates a landscape that looks almost like the moon in some places. It’s amazing.
Streams of highly mineralized water flow down the slope, further expanding this unique place.
At the top of the hill, we can admire the pilgrim chapel of the Holy Cross. It was built in 1675 and perfectly complements this romantic place.
Near Sivá Brada, there is a shepherd’s hut where we went to eat. It is a lovely spot surrounded by forest, and of course, we took advantage of the playground there.
My kids love animals, especially ones they can feed, like the sheep here. They could run around and feed them for half a day. I’m glad they have such a connection to animals, as I also love them very much.
Thank you.
Ahoj,
Neďaleko Spišského hradu sa nachádza nie veľký kopec. Už z diaľky si môžete všimnúť, že je niečím výnimočný. Nerastú na ňom žiadne stromy a na vrchu stojí kaplnka. Jeho svah je z časti pokrytý bielou horninou. Tou horninou je travertín a ja vám dnes napíšem o našom výlete na chránené územie Sivá Brada.
Okolo Sivej Brady sme prechádzali veľakrát, ale nikdy sme sa pri nej nezastavili. Je to však výnimočné a zaujímavé miesto. Toto leto som tu svoje deti vzal na výlet. Nie je to ZOO ani detské ihrisko, ale deti sa vedia vyhrať takmer všade. Stačí ich správne namotivovať.
Hneď, ako sme vystúpili z auta, išli sme sa pozrieť na gejzír. Z neho niekedy v pravidelných intervaloch striekala voda. Teraz už iba vyviera, no dnes bol úplne suchý.
Sivá brada je kopec, ktorý neustále rastie už vyše 10000 rokov. Jedná sa o živú travertínovú plochu, ktorá sa neustále rozširuje vďaka minerálnej vode, ktorá tu vyviera. Vyvierajú tu tri pramene a vraj všetky tri majú liečivú vodu. V minulosti sa tu nachádzali kúpele. Pri vŕtaní a hľadaní vody, ktorá by zásobovala kúpele, narazili na pretlakový prameň. Vďaka tomu vznikol gejzír, ktorého hĺbka je až 132 metrov.
Kúpele už neexistujú, ale voda stále tečie. Za tie roky voda vytvorila travertínový kopec s výškou 25 metrov. Z gejzíra niekedy vystrekovala voda do výšky 15 metrov. To musel byť pohľad. Pri jednom takom výstreku dokázala vytlačiť až 1000 litrov vody. Škoda, že dnes už iba vyviera.
Vyviera však na viacerých miestach a vďaka tomu nájdete travertínovú kopu aj na druhej strane kopca. Nie je až taká veľká, ale dajú sa z nej urobiť pekné fotky.
Mojím deťom stačí aj malé jazierko. Z domu si priniesli hračky a skúšajú, aká je tu voda. Trochu rozvírili hladinu a voda zmenila farbu na bielu. Travertín je všade.
Zistil som však, že travertín ide veľmi ťažko dole z nohavíc. To by neboli moje deti keby po piatich minútach čo sme tu, nespadli na zadok a boli celý biely. No nič, náhradné oblečenie nemám, tak to budú musieť vydržať.
Vďaka tejto vyvieračke sa v chránenom území nachádza aj viacero špecifických druhov rastlín, ktoré prispievajú k biodiverzite. Niektoré sú typické pre morské oblasti, ako napríklad Sivuľka prímorská. Alebo rastliny, ktoré rastú len na vápencovom podloží a travertínových kopách. Je to napríklad Ostrica nízka alebo Klokoč perovitý.
Mne sa najviac páči fotogenickosť tohto miesta. Tie biele travertíny vytvárajú miestami akoby mesačnú krajinu. Sú úžasné.
Potôčiky vysoko mineralizovanej vody stekajú dole svahom a tak rozširujú toto jedinečné miesto.
Na vrchu kopca môžeme obdivovať pútnickú kaplnku Svätého kríža. Bola postavená v roku 1675 a dokonale dotvára toto romantické miesto.
Neďaleko Sivej Brady sa nachádza Salaš, kde sme sa išli najesť. Je to pekné prostredie, ktoré obklopuje les a samozrejme, že sme využili možnosti detského ihriska.
Moje deti majú radi zvieratká. Najmä tie, ktoré môžu kŕmiť, ako tieto ovce. Vedeli by okolo nich pobehovať hádam aj pol dňa a kŕmiť ich. Teším sa, že majú taký vzťah k zvieratám, pretože aj ja mám zvieratá veľmi rád.
Ďakujem
You can check out this post and your own profile on the map. Be part of the Worldmappin Community and join our Discord Channel to get in touch with other travelers, ask questions or just be updated on our latest features.
Congratulations, your post has been added to the TravelFeed Map! 🎉🥳🌴
Did you know you have your own profile map?
And every post has their own map too!
Want to have your post on the map too?
- Go to TravelFeed Map
- Click the create pin button
- Drag the marker to where your post should be. Zoom in if needed or use the search bar (top right).
- Copy and paste the generated code in your post (any Hive frontend)
- Or login with Hive Keychain or Hivesigner and click "create post" to post to Hive directly from TravelFeed
- Congrats, your post is now on the map!
PS: You can import your previous Pinmapple posts to the TravelFeed map.Opt Out
Congratulations @photoparadise! You received the biggest smile and some love from TravelFeed! Keep up the amazing blog. 😍 Your post was also chosen as top pick of the day and is now featured on the TravelFeed front page.
Thanks for using TravelFeed!
@for91days (TravelFeed team)
PS: Did you know that we have our own Hive frontend at TravelFeed.com? For your next travel post, log in to TravelFeed with Hive Keychain or Hivesigner and take advantage of our exclusive features for travel bloggers.
Congratulations @photoparadise! You received a personal badge!
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
Check out our last posts:
Greetings, please read the description! We are no longer publishing! This post will not be muted but the next one will be published in the new community thanks
Thanks, it was a mistake on my part. The post should have been published in worldmappin. I had it set up incorrectly.