Read More: The discovery of 4,000-year-old mummified cheetahs in Saudi Arabia could lead to the recovery of a lost ecosystem<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nAccording to the pond\u2019s fishing association, He\u0159manick\u00fd Pond covers about 116 hectares and is one of the biggest sport fishing waters in the region. The cabins spread visitors across the surface instead of crowding them on the banks, so shorelines stay calmer for birds and other wildlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Interior](\"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/hermanicky-pond-fishing-hut-interior-ostrava-czech-republic.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Inside one of the stilt fishing cabins on Hermanicky Pond near Ostrava, built as a simple shelter for anglers above the water.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nFrom mining reservoir to bird sanctuary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
He\u0159manick\u00fd Pond has served as a retention basin for salty mine water since the 1970s, when nearby coal mines needed a place to pump mineral-rich underground water. That water is mixed with fresh water in the pond before it flows into the Odra River, which helps keep salt levels within strict limits set by authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\nRead More: What seemed like an insignificant genetic detail could explain why some older men develop more cardiovascular diseases<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nCity and regional documents describe the pond as highly mineralized and originally created for technical reasons, not for weekend picnics. Over time, constant water levels and wide belts of reeds have turned this engineered basin into a major reed wetland<\/a> that is now listed as a protected natural monument and part of a wider European bird area.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSharing the pond with hundreds of bird species<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ornithologists have recorded more than 250 bird species at He\u0159manick\u00fd Pond, including several rare and strictly protected<\/a> ones. For migrating ducks, herons, and small marsh birds, the reed beds and shallow edges work like a busy transfer station during spring and fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Stilt](\"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ostrava-secret-venice-hermanicky-pond-fishing-huts-stilts.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Around 70 wooden fishing cabins stand on stilts over He\u0159manick\u00fd Pond in Ostrava, forming a little-known \u201csecret Venice.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nEnvironmental reports warn that the long history of mining and the constant inflow of salty water still pose risks to the wetland and its wildlife. That is why visitors are asked to stay on marked paths, respect quiet zones, and treat the cabins as a privilege rather than just another photo backdrop, whether they come to fish or to watch birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\nRead More: The famous \u201cbrain-eating amoeba\u201d is not the only one; the new fear is a whole group of microbes that live in water and soil and are already gaining ground with climate change<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nFor locals, the result is a place where industrial history, outdoor hobbies, and bird conservation<\/a> meet in one unusual view across the water. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe main report on this site and its fishing cabins has been published by the regional news program Ud\u00e1losti Ostrava<\/em> of Czech Television.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From a distance, He\u0159manick\u00fd Pond on the edge of Ostrava looks like a quiet, flat lake beside an industrial city. … <\/p>\n
From mining reservoir to bird sanctuary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
He\u0159manick\u00fd Pond has served as a retention basin for salty mine water since the 1970s, when nearby coal mines needed a place to pump mineral-rich underground water. That water is mixed with fresh water in the pond before it flows into the Odra River, which helps keep salt levels within strict limits set by authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read More: What seemed like an insignificant genetic detail could explain why some older men develop more cardiovascular diseases<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nCity and regional documents describe the pond as highly mineralized and originally created for technical reasons, not for weekend picnics. Over time, constant water levels and wide belts of reeds have turned this engineered basin into a major reed wetland<\/a> that is now listed as a protected natural monument and part of a wider European bird area.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSharing the pond with hundreds of bird species<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ornithologists have recorded more than 250 bird species at He\u0159manick\u00fd Pond, including several rare and strictly protected<\/a> ones. For migrating ducks, herons, and small marsh birds, the reed beds and shallow edges work like a busy transfer station during spring and fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAround 70 wooden fishing cabins stand on stilts over He\u0159manick\u00fd Pond in Ostrava, forming a little-known \u201csecret Venice.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nEnvironmental reports warn that the long history of mining and the constant inflow of salty water still pose risks to the wetland and its wildlife. That is why visitors are asked to stay on marked paths, respect quiet zones, and treat the cabins as a privilege rather than just another photo backdrop, whether they come to fish or to watch birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\nRead More: The famous \u201cbrain-eating amoeba\u201d is not the only one; the new fear is a whole group of microbes that live in water and soil and are already gaining ground with climate change<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nFor locals, the result is a place where industrial history, outdoor hobbies, and bird conservation<\/a> meet in one unusual view across the water. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe main report on this site and its fishing cabins has been published by the regional news program Ud\u00e1losti Ostrava<\/em> of Czech Television.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From a distance, He\u0159manick\u00fd Pond on the edge of Ostrava looks like a quiet, flat lake beside an industrial city. … <\/p>\n
Sharing the pond with hundreds of bird species<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ornithologists have recorded more than 250 bird species at He\u0159manick\u00fd Pond, including several rare and strictly protected<\/a> ones. For migrating ducks, herons, and small marsh birds, the reed beds and shallow edges work like a busy transfer station during spring and fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Environmental reports warn that the long history of mining and the constant inflow of salty water still pose risks to the wetland and its wildlife. That is why visitors are asked to stay on marked paths, respect quiet zones, and treat the cabins as a privilege rather than just another photo backdrop, whether they come to fish or to watch birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For locals, the result is a place where industrial history, outdoor hobbies, and bird conservation<\/a> meet in one unusual view across the water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main report on this site and its fishing cabins has been published by the regional news program Ud\u00e1losti Ostrava<\/em> of Czech Television.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From a distance, He\u0159manick\u00fd Pond on the edge of Ostrava looks like a quiet, flat lake beside an industrial city. … <\/p>\nRead More: The famous \u201cbrain-eating amoeba\u201d is not the only one; the new fear is a whole group of microbes that live in water and soil and are already gaining ground with climate change<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n