The Anastázia Tonda Wayside Shrine

Walking in a southerly direction a few hundred metres along the straight road to Dolní Černá Studnice from Nová Ves we come to the junction of several roads. Take the second right, a dusty, rough track which belies its importance as historically one of the busiest arteries of the former Smržovka Estate. Until 1810 the road from Prague and Turnov was steep and for most of the year particularly difficult to pass, especially the section up to Horní Černá Studnice known as the old drayman’s way, or Prague Road. That same year the steepest part of the track was replaced by a sweeping bend to make the going easier, and this is part of that road. Walk along the track a few dozen yards past the allotments on the left, the Květinový domek (Flower House, see below) and former fire station on the right. Stop at the two large horse chestnut trees which guard the Anastázia TondaWayside Shrine. The cross stands opposite the former Knobloch farmstead which was, until it burned down in 1947, one of the three oldest farmsteads in the lower village. The names of the people who once lived there live on in the shrine’s name. The shrine was built in 1814, four years after completion of the new road; however, it stood a hundred yards to the east of its present position at the crossroads where we turned off. Around 1870 a small cottage was built at the crossroads, the above-mentioned “Flower House”, which was run as a small inn, with “girls – waitresses” advertised to serve the guests. The vicar of Smržovka, Ignác Knobloch, as a result had the shrine moved to its present site, closer to his farmstead, and planted the two horse chestnut trees. The shrine was destroyed by vandals after WWII and all that remained was the rugged granite block which formed the plinth. In 2008, the monument was restored to its former glory by the village of Nová Ves and the local Civic Society with financial help from Liberec Region.