Balek’s Hell

On the southern side of the little town lies a picturesque valley with a steep rock face. It is called Balek’s Hell, after the nearby Balek Mill. On the layered gneiss rocks one can see impressions attributed to the Devil’s backside and hoof. According to one legend, a miller from the nearby mill once walked through the valley and was startled by the Devil sitting on a rock. The Devil laughed: “Did I give you a fright?” The miller replied, “Indeed, a fright” — in Czech, “Ba, lek.” From then on, Balek became the miller’s name. Another legend says that in ancient times a pagan place of idol worship stood here. A Christian priest cursed the idols, thereby summoning the Devil, who threw himself onto a rock sprinkled with holy water. His footprints have been shown here ever since.