Stump cottage, Bus shelter in Němčovice, Czech Republic

Stump Cottage is a waiting shelter in Němčovice with dark brown walls textured like tree bark and small windows positioned along its sides. The roof sits on oak branches, creating the impression of a forest hideaway, and inside you find benches, cuckoo clocks, and proper lighting for passengers.

Construction began in 2018 after road improvements on II/232 required replacing the previous metal shelter that had served the area. The new structure was built as part of broader efforts to upgrade the intersection and its surroundings.

The shelter draws inspiration from the Czech animated series Pohádky z mechu a kapradí, bringing fairy tale elements into everyday village life. Locals and visitors instantly recognize the connection to storytelling traditions that remain close to this community.

The shelter stands on the edge of Němčovice beside road II/232 between Břasy and Liblín, where traffic is fast and about 90 lorries pass each hour. Since the rebuild, the bus stops are lit, a refuge island allows safer crossing and a radar monitors speed. The entrance is an open arch without doors.

The stump shape was also meant to slow traffic on II/232, where cars were estimated at up to 120 km/h and some 90 lorries passed hourly. Mayor Karel Ferschmann's idea worked: drivers slowed during construction itself. The village spent roughly 100,000–120,000 CZK, less than the 150,000 CZK a standard shelter would have cost.