Kamencové jezero

Only Alum of the world

The Kamencové Jezero ( German Alum Lake ) is a lake and a natural monument in the Czech Republic.

Geography

The Alum Lake is one of two major lakes in Chomutov. It is located in the North Bohemian Basin, an abundant kilometers north of the center of Chomutov, 337 m asl

North of the lake runs the railway line Ústí nad Labem - Chomutov, Chomutov behind is the zoo. East of the reservoir is Otvice ( Big Pond), north of the smaller Kamenný rybnik (stone pond ) and in the northwest of Cerveny rybnik ( Red Pond).

History

The origin of the lake lies in the captured 1588 Komotauer Alauntagebaus. After setting the pit in 1777, the remaining hole filled with water. The thus created lake is the world's only Alum; another was in Canada, but this is dried up. In the 19th century, was built on the northwest shore of the lake the iron Alaunhütte.

The 16,25 ha and nearly 3.5 m deep lake now serves as a lake and forms the reservoir Otvice a contiguous recreation area. A special feature is the composition of water, which contains about one per cent alum and nitrogens, nitrates, chlorides, ammonia and iron. Because of the innocuous for humans Alaungehaltes high the water is biologically dead, therefore no algae and blue-green algae can also develop in spite of the low water depth. At the lake there is a spa.

It became famous through the lake also created in 1877 by Ernst Gustav Doerell Painting The Alum Lake in Chomutov.