Vlčí Důl is a

resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that aims to provide most of a vacationer's needs. This includes food, drink, swimming, accommodation, sports, entertainment and shopping, on the premises. A hotel ...

, part of Bludov municipality in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

Etymology

The adjective “Vlčí” means “wolf”. The noun “důl” means “mine" in the new Czech language, but it means both “mine” and “valley” in old Czech. Therefore, the translation can be "mine" or "valley" as the place was named during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

when old Czech was spoken.

History

The Petrovický rybník (literally Peter Pond) was situated in the place during the Middle Ages. The pond was drained in 1930. During the late 1940s, a club of fishermen unsuccessfully tried to reestablish the pond. The idea to create a swimming pool was made in 50’s and first works began in 1953. The pool was built by participants of

Action Z "Initiative Z" was an attempt by Communist Czechoslovakia to tap a volunteer work and community spirit toward supplementing local infrastructure and public facility improvement using volunteer work while the construction material and the logistic ...

. The pool opened on 13 July 1963 and named after Vlčí Důl, a nearby valley. A source of water is Vitonický potok (literally Vitonice creek). The area became relatively popular and a parking lot, showers, toilets, playground, and paved road were constructed a few years after it opened. In 1965, František Hroch, a Bludov resident, built a weekend house near the pool. Nowadays, 33 cottages occupy a hillside opposite the pool. The Hubert Hunter Club built a cottage in 1985. A hotel was built in 1987.

Present Day

The resort is in decay. The hotel and restaurant went bankrupt at the beginning of the 21st century. The hotel relied on recreation organized by communist ROH. But in capitalist Czech Republic, outdated facilities were not able to compete. The relatively remoteness of the resort and distance from attractive tourist destinations in High Ash Mountains worsened the decline. The hotel is owned by the municipality which tried to sell or lease the building without significant interest from potential buyers. Eventual demolition was resisted by Bludov citizens. Unlike the pool and the hotel, the cottage settlement works well.

Demography

One cottage is permanently inhabited; other estates are used for recreation. Bludov citizens own four cottages, rest is owned by people from

Šumperk Šumperk (; ) is a town in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 25,000 inhabitants. It is an industrial town, but it also contains valuable historical and architectural monuments. The historic town centre is well preserved and i ...

Zábřeh Zábřeh (; ) is a town in Šumperk District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. Administrative division Zábřeh consists of five municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): ...

and

Kroměříž Kroměříž (; ) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 28,000 inhabitants. It is known for Kroměříž Castle with its castle gardens, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic town centre with the castle ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vlci Dul Populated places in Šumperk District Bludov (Šumperk District)