Lake Mácha, Artificial lake in Doksy, Czech Republic
Máchovo jezero is a 284-hectare pond in the Robečský potok basin, fed by the Okenský and Břehyňský streams. Its dam lies at Staré Splavy, and the outflow is the Mlýnský potok. Two islands lie in the water, one bearing the remains of the Myšlin fortress; the shoreline includes sandy beaches and wooded hills such as Borný and Šroubený.
Charles IV commissioned the reservoir in the 14th century to promote fish farming and provide water for his hunting trips. The site remained under royal administration for centuries before evolving into a regional recreation area.
The name honors a 19th-century poet who wrote about the surrounding forests and hills. Today the literary connection appears in the paths and signs around the water.
The pond lies in a peat basin fed by the Okenský and Břehyňský streams, with its dam at Staré Splavy, part of Doksy since 1850. A steamboat ran between Doksy and Staré Splavy from June 1920, and boat and sailboat rentals plus swimming courses followed. Water traffic is restricted in some bays to protect nature.
The island of Myšlín in the lake carries the remains of the Myší hrádek fortress. A local legend tells that Charles IV starved the robber knight Panzer there, and that mice swam after him to the island and devoured him. The island is now protected.
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