WE WELCOME YOU to visit our village's website. Our hamlet is one of the oldest settlements situated in the west KRKONOSE (the GIANT MOUNTAINS), the highest Czech mountains.

A plentiful history is made already on this site since 1354.

Our village PONIKLA is famous not only for its bent old women used to wander in order to collect herbs and the ghostly appearance figure of KRAKONOS that whenever you can bump into. In a considerable degree, there are also the company RAUTIS for Christmas decorations, the agricultural bio-producing co-op KRAKONOS' RANCH and the enterprise SINGING ROCK manufacturing climbing equipment.

The mountain population life may be seen at the well-arranged KRKONOSE MOUNTAINS' CRAFT MUSEUM.

In our village, there is a wide variety of voluntary clubs and organizations that offer to enjoy cultural and common moments throughout the year.

If you are sportsmen, you would expect very good chances to spend in your family circle as your summer as winter relaxation time.

You have made us glad of visiting the official website of PONIKLA, one of the oldest villages located in the West KRKONOSE.

We can bring you more information or assist you with finding visitor attractions and suggestions in and around our village in case that you have already decided or intent upon spending here your relaxation days (summer or winter).

Our village PONIKLA is famous not only for its bent old women used to wander in order to collect herbs and the ghostly appearance figure - giant KRAKONOS that whenever you can bump into. In a considerable degree, there are also the company RAUTIS making Christmas decorations with a possibility of excursion for tourists, then the agricultural bio-producing co-op KRAKONOS' RANCH and the enterprise SINGING ROCK manufacturing climbing equipment.

The mountain population life may be seen at the well-arranged KRKONOSE MOUNTAINS' CRAFT MUSEUM.

In our village, there is a wide variety of such voluntary clubs and organizations as are Fire Voluntary Brigade, SOKOL Gym Organization, J. J. KOLAR Amateur Theatricals and SATORI Vocal and Instrumental Ensemble that offer to enjoy cultural and common moments throughout the year.

If you with your family feel disposed for sporting, you would expect here very good chances to spend summer and winter relaxation holidays, not only in association with the sporting area HOMOLE.

Our village parts lie near the JIZERA river valley (390 metres about sea level), but then the last house "on top" you can find in 700 metres. This picturesque foothills' village with population of 1.200 was named after a streamlet that goes astray here and there and again springs from another piece of earth – so that the word "PONIKLA" means "spring forth". The sources of the phenomenon are in subterranean caverns found when the land was quarried to railway in the 18th to 19th centuries. For the first time, "PONYKLA" is on record in 1354, the next one dating from 1360 mentions "PONIKLI".

The locals made their livelihood, in the main, by farming very small mountain fields. The PONIKLA linen-drapers ranked among well-known exporters as early as in the 16.century, as it is supported by mercantile register papers dating from 1697. The thrall farm hands were in work at field manors, processed flax and linen at that time. The starting factory large-scale production ceased this home-made weaving process in the course of the 19thcentury second half. Also in PONIKLA in 1896, the spinning mill started its processing, and this plant ranks with the village up to the present day. There are also ancient chronicles of the period when our villagers lived by iron ore and graphite mining and that's why the village coat of arms includes the miners' winch with a bucket.

Looking at PONIKLA, especially from on high surrounding slopes, you can be moved by the sweet charm of our village. Seats by observation points and monuments will afford you beautiful views to places covered with the green foliage of branchy trees. Some of them have in remembrance past centuries of our ancestors, a great many trees are proud of them impressive crowns. A venerable lime tree near the Tomas' Farm, having around its trunk 665cm, ranks among the most well-known ones, there are a magnificent memorable oak in the centre of village and a tall chestnut-tree in sight of the church, too. Also a matter of great interest is, regarding the lowlands, a frequent presence of places covered with exotic wood species. All these things are small fragments, from which, in the hearts of whole generations, they build up an exceptional feeling of respect in Nature. This idea has taken hold here and cannot be thought apart from the present lifestyle.

• Saint James the Greater – the Baroque church, consecrated in 1682, and pertaining to the oldest ones in surroundings. A new painting was made by artist NEJEDLY from NOVY BYDZOV one hundred years ago and restored to its full beauty by the LITOMYSL' School of Applied Arts in 1996.
• Saint JAN NEPOMUCKY, near the church - sculptured by an unknown rustic artist.
• KREJCI Family's Farm – ranks among the largest outbuildings, dating from 1833. There is an attic chambered corridor having a gable rich with carving. The head front gable of a type LOMNICKY ART belongs to past ones below KRKONOSE Mountains.

A place that can interest nature lovers greatly is an underground limestone cave system with corridors 250m in length and a cave decorated with dripstones. You will find also the small lake of about 25m² in the cave. The bats hibernate in this Register Room during the winter months. For the time being, the cave is not open to the public.

Sure allures of our surroundings are on the bank of the JIZERA. The river bed is characterized by PHYLITTE rapids (a type of a foliated metamorphic rock), by banks hollowed out by rushing meandered stream. This meander type is one of the most excellent in shape in the KRKONOSE Mountains.

There are innumerable romantic places to relax. You can find plenty LILIES of the valley and RAMSONS on the banks. Anglers take their pleasure here, too. We are reviving successively our streams by means of brooders of trout and grayling in NOVA VES.

NOVA VES, JILEM, PRIVLAKA and PRELOZKA are parts of our village.

In PONIKLA, you can see whole meadows and slopes when dozens of mountain flowers and officinal herbs grow and which it would be hard to find elsewhere – as are Spring Snowflake, Eyebright Officinal, St. John's Herb, Great Burnet Officinal, Elm Meadowsweet, Spring Primrose.

• Academic painter JAROSLAV SKRBEK - was born and lives here over his infancy, and became an eminent graphic artist and pioneer in Czech etching.
• KAREL TOMICEK – a great figure for the Czech Nationalist Movement of the 19th century. He was associated with LADISLAV RIEGER, DL.
• Professor ZDENEK REINIS – a world reputable specialist in the field of ANGIOLOGY. He had founded the Czech preventive cardiology.

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