Comment by m4rtink
7 hours ago
This is quite normal thing to do for many open pit mines or rather hard not to do if the pit goes below the water table.
There are some very nice natural swimming pools in the local area thanks to that, for example:
https://www.kudyznudy.cz/aktivity/koupaliste-u-libuse-v-lule... (stone quarry, IMHO one of the best summer swimming pools anywhere)
https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zatopen%C3%BD_lom_v_Blansku (stone quarry)
https://www.jednoustopouceskem.cz/listing/lom-kaolinka-prime... (kaolin mine)
Czech republic has some really nice quarries and dams where you can swim for free or next to free. One thing I've noticed is that Czechs only seem to go to such places when it's really really warm. So they're often empty even when they're perfect for swimming. At least the ones near me in Plzeň. I grew up swimming in the Atlantic so my idea of swimming temperature may be different to average Czechs!
The "interesting" part is that the mine closing will significantly reduce the water supply to Berlin on its own, and filling the pit will probably raise the issue to possibly catastrophic levels: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/spr...
I go often to a quarry lake in Canmore (near Banff)
I recently went swimming in one of these submerged mines/quarries in North America. This one flooded during a severe hurricane: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_Brownstone_Quarries
The Minnesota Iron Range is full of these and they're absolutely beautiful; terrifyingly deep, however.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAL_d-5FsGQ - Tioga Pit Mine (225' deep)
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsmouth_Mine_Pit_Lake (450' deep)
Stumbled across this one later in my recommended videos that I like even better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC267JdGN24
Luleč is really amazing and the food they have there is top.
Yeah, its my absolute number one summer swimming spot, even if it takes me like an hour and a half to get there from Brno (often including a train to/from Vyskov) one way, it is totally worth it. Such a unique spot!
Outside just the marvelous part industrial, part natural beauty, there are so many interesting little details:
- that original ~90 years old water slide made from a mixture of cement and marble that has been perfectly smoothed out (locals can do insane tricks on it)
- a built-in olympic sized swimming pool integrated into the back of the quarry by constructing 2 parallel edges with jump points and eyes for attaching swim lane markers
- vast meadows around the quarry on which you can put your towel and sunbathe or just read a book when not swimming
- the place itself on the edge of a forested higland that changes into a flat plane with fields and wine gardens - they are quite a few viewing spots where you can see far and wide into the landscape
And indeed, the Panelka bistro right next to the quarry is superb and has won quite a few prices for its food over the years - and they host many interesting cultural events as well! :)
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