National geopark

Lítov Spoil Heap

Photo by J. Tvrdý
Photo gallery: 
Photo by P. Beran
Photo by J. Tvrdý
Photo by J. Tvrdý
Photo by P. Uhlík
Photo by P. Uhlík

Man-made semidesert

The Lítov Spoil Heap in the westernmost part of the basin is located in the cadastral areas of Habartov, Lítov and Horní Částkov. The elevation of the landscape originally reached 450–540 m ASL and now, after being built up, rises up to 570 m. The spoil heap contains 219.64 million m3 of overburden material. The reclaimed area of the Lítov Spoil Heap and of the exhausted Boden Pit at Habartov occupies a total area of 723 hectares.

A nature trail, 2.2 km long, in the area between the Chlum Svaté Máří pilgrimage site and the Habartov-Boden recreation area being built passes through the unique environment of the reclaimed waste tip, which was produced by brown coal mining. Only sparse vegetation grows on the strongly acidic substrates and a unique natural environment with unusual flora and fauna is developing.