Swamp is a small but remarkable wetland reserve on the shores of Lake Mácha, tucked away from the crowds of this popular holiday destination. It protects one of the last remnants of the peat bog that once covered the entire lake basin.

The landscape here is quiet and intimate — shallow pools and reed-fringed inlets separated from the main lake by a reinforced natural dam. Rare water plants and unusual algae thrive in the calm, nutrient-poor waters, while herons, bitterns and kingfishers can sometimes be spotted along the reeds. In summer the bog blooms with delicate white water lilies, while autumn and winter bring an eerie stillness and mist rising off the water — a striking contrast to the bustling beaches nearby.

• Staré Splavy — blue-marked trail towards Hradčany, running along the edge of the northern part of the reserve, easy walk
• Kemp Borný — yellow-marked trail to Břehyně, easy walk
• A dedicated Swamp Nature Trail, built in 2010, circles the whole of Lake Mácha

• Home to rare and protected species such as brown beak-sedge and the white water lily
• Endangered bird species recorded here include the great bittern, marsh harrier, common snipe and kingfisher
• Overlaps with the Jestřebsko–Dokesko Natura 2000 site and the Českolipsko–Dokeské pískovce a mokřady bird area

Fun fact: in 1972 scientists discovered here a completely new species of armored algae, Dicranochaete bohemica — making this quiet bog a small but genuine scientific treasure.