Inner and outer landscapes

Essays about the memory of the landscape, the meaningful beaver, the apple strudel area, and also about why we climb lookout towers

Since the 1990s, the landscape has become one of the key concepts in the natural sciences, as well as in some humanities. The first half of the essays deals with the real, physical landscape, its transformations, and its protection. The second part is dedicated to the inner landscapes of the soul – the phenomenon of genius loci, the figure of the Green Man, Celtic gods in the Mesozoic era, etc. The book concludes with the Pilgrim's Rules for travelling to sacred places and a comprehensive list of literary and musical sources necessary for entering the landscape. The main theme of the book remains the necessity of protecting the landscape for its own sake, for the elements, rocks, waters, and life, but also for ourselves and our own souls. Photos by Hana Rysová, Václav Cílek.