The Urbánek Lime

Podmáslí (Buttermilk) Valley settles between two areas of higher ground in the north-western part of Nová Ves and is one of several valleys in the area. The hill to the north is known as Kynast. Nová Ves was historically a glass making community. To this day many of the old glass pressing workshops - driketa – are still visible, recognizable by their tall chimneys. The Podmáslí Vaalley, however, was home to small time farmers and the driketa are not so common here.

A road arches through the valley from the lower part of the village (turn left at the junction at the first bus stop in the village from Jablonec nad Nisou) to the upper part in the direction of the Nisanka Tower. Towards the top there is the largest and oldest tree in the village – the Urbánek Lime (Linden) Tree (the Czech national tree), where there is also a bench for a short rest.. This venerable tree was planted in the 18th century by the farmer opposite at No. 92 and is 28m tall with the trunk measuring 461cm in diameter, estimated age c. 250 years. A second lime tree was planted at the same time on the same piece of land further up on the ridge to the north of the farmstead on the higher road and stood there until unfortunately it fell at the turn of the last century. A picture of the Archangel Michael hung on the tree – the patron saint of the Baroque church in Smržovska – to which pilgrims went from Jablonec. The ridge road was in fact originally called “Michael’s Road”.

Visible from the Urbánek Lime, a little lower and to the left of the road near a derelict house is a further protected lime, the Brynych or Junka’s Lime. This specimen is 30m tall and measures 325cm round the trunk.