Although Joy Adamson loved the African savannah, she spoke of the Budišov nad Budišovkou area as the most beautiful landscape in the world. Coming from the author of the famous stories about Elsa the lioness, this is high praise indeed. Although Joy was born
in Opava, she grew up in the village of Seifenmühle, which lies at the base of what is known today as Kružberská přehrada Reservoir.
The picturesque city of Budišov nad Budišovkou lies along the border of Moravia and Silesia. Though the natural landscape is truly breathtaking, the lives of its people was not. Struggle and the turmoil of war, fires and disease have all left their mark on the city.
Here, one of the most famous battles took place between the Prussian and Austrian armies. Prussian King Fredrick II was laying siege to Olomouc in the mid-18
th century and, as he was running out of supplies, a convoy was sent from Prussia with aid in the form of rations and wages. Meanwhile, General
Laudon and his army were waiting for it at Guntramovice. The battle lasted several days, and Laudon won. Having never received the aid, Fredrick was forced to retreat from Olomouc empty-handed. The spot where his fate was determined is marked with a cross as a battle memorial. The linden tree that grows there is nicknamed "golden", as legend has it soldiers buried gold coins at its roots.
Tourist attractions include the
Muzeum břidlice (slate museum) and the baroque stone bridge. The local cemetery is the final resting place for the grandparents of Joy Adamson, whose real name was Friederike Victoria Gessner.