This was a case of serendipitous discovery for me during my car trip in Southern/Central Czech Republic (August 2020). I decided just the day before to spend a night in Třeboň on the way from Český Krumlov to Telčm following sugegstions from the locals, and then, the day after, it was just because I took the "wrong" road trying to reach the Renaissance church in the minuscule hamlet of Hamr that I could really appreciate the fishpond network.

The day was moody, foggy and rainy, very unlucky for late August, but this might have let me appreciate it more. The number of fishponds is incredible. There is no village that doesn't have its own, either in its "town centre" or hidden in the wood behind the main group of houses. Many are also connected by canals. At some point I felt as I was a guest in the realm of ducks (there are fish, too, of course, but they're not so apparent and decidedly less loud): it is not uncommon to drive/ride on narrow embankments between fishponds, through rows of tall trees, and see large groups of lake birds roaming the cane fields. All the region is very enjoyable by bike, and you'll see many in the high season.

Besides the natural fascination, there are interesting histories too. First of all, just the fact that most of the ponds are the fruit of century-long labor and still at work these days is astounding, especially with regard to one of the largest ponds, the Svět (= "world"), on the outskirts of Třeboň, which dates back to the XVIth century and originates from the stubborness of the local lord and has its story lively recounted on Czech/English/German informative shields on site. So, this gives the whole site a great historical value as man-shaped landscape (and by the way, for very similar reasons the Navigli system in Lombardy should at least appear on the tentative list, too, but I'm digressing).

Moreover, the town of Třeboň is very nice and very well preserved, more because of its small centre surrounded by the Golden canal, the remarkable gothic church and the central square than for its castle (zámek), whose interior has little else to offer with respect to other noble residences (and very little is left of the original Renaissance interiors). From the municipal tower you can embrace all the town and the surrounding pond-rich region. Still, coming from Český Krumlov, I found the connection with the once powerful Rožmberk (whose last descendant died here after having sold out of all his other properties) and Schwarzenberg dinasties charming, and their presence is very well symbolised by their mausoleum on the shores of the Svět, a recommended sight. But there are also many other picturesque villages in the countryside (as the aforementioned Hamr near Val).

All in all, the region surely has the potential to become a WHS because of its richness and uniqueness and, not unimportantly, of the many possibilities to be enjoyed. It surely has to be extended beyond the actual six proposed landmarks, but in my opinion this will just increase the already high possibility of being included in the list.

- Photo: pond complex between Klec and Val.