Natural Park

Natural Park and Reservations in the Area

Křivoklátsko Landscape Protected Area – UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

The border of Křivoklátsko LPA south and south-west of Nové Strašecí, behind the village of Ruda. Křivoklátsko LPA occupies a great part of Křivoklát Highlands and a part of Karlovice Highlands on both banks of Berounka River; it is an area among towns of Zbiroh, Rakovník and Beroun. The main reason to preserve this area which was not substantially affected by human activity is the exceptional significance of the Křivoklát forests and unique geomorphological character of this area.
Thanks to its great geological diversity, quickly changing site exposition and changeable thermal zones, there is a great number of types of natural vegetation for which make the area very important. Křivoklátsko LPA has more than 200 natural reserves and several natural monuments.

Klíčava Springs Natural Reserve
Klíčava Springs Natural Reserve is a part of Křivoklátsko LPA. The spring is located approximately 0.5 km (0.3 miles) south of railway station Řevničov, above Horní Kracle pond. This area contains floodplain alder forests and open wetland grass-and-herb communities. The most valuable feature of the location is various kinds of peat-bogs and terrain depressions simulating basins. The reserve is inhabited with 275 species of vascular plants in total, important species of spiders and insects, viviparous lizard, nutcracker, woodcock, water vole and many more.

V Bahnech Natural Reserve

This reserve is located on the upper reaches of Loděnice brook between the Bucek and Punčocha ponds. Fortunately, the peat extraction was ended in time, therefore the transition peat-bog, unique in central Bohemia, was saved. The peat-bog is rich in flora, it gives a home to many rare and protected plant species, such as round-leaved sun-dew, southern bladderwort, Pinguicula general and many rare species of sedges. There is also a substantial moor community.

Na Novém rybníce Natural Monument
This natural monument includes a pond and adjacent meadows west of Nové Strašecí. The pond with reeds and adjacent wet meadows are perfect sites for communities of sedges, marsh helleborine European globe flower, Parnassia palustris and many more.
In the area, we can find European common brown frog, marsh frog, grass snake and 44 species of birds (great crested grebe, tufted duck, coot, marsh harrier, little ringed plover, and reed bunting, etc).

Louky Natural Reserve in Libeň Game Reserve

Louky Natural Reserve includes a former orchard, meadow and a forest in the brook floodplain around Strašil pond and Soudný pond. Thanks to varied soil and humidity conditions, there are diverse plant communities. In this natural reserve, there can be found various species of sedges, common cotton-grass, adder’s tongue, Triglochin palustre, Dactylorhiza majalis, etc. This location is also an important for being a nesting area for many bird species.

Džbán Natural Park

Even though this area is not classified as an independent protected area, it is an important natural site. The park occupies borderline among the districts of Rakovník, Louny and Kladno, situated on a tableland with many valleys elevated above the surrounding area by tectonic movements. The south part gives the impression of a mountain chain, however, its highest points reach the height of only 500 m (1640.4 ft) above sea level (Žalý, Louštín, Džbán, etc). There are sharp cliff fractures of various heights as well as rock walls (perpendicular marl walls called 'white hillsides'). Wooded areas are mixed with valleys of small streams, wetlands and ponds; a number of natural communities of rare species can be found in the area. On the south-east, the natural park borders with Křivoklátsko forests.

Podhůrka Natural Reserve

This natural reserve was established to protect water wetland and meadow communities on the peat deposit inhabited with especially rare species of plants and animals.
This site is important for its high biodiversity which depends on various levels of soil humidity. In wet meadows, marshes and water habitats, populations of several rare plant species can be found, i.e. European globe flower, southern bladderwort and Dactylorhiza majalis. The vegetation serves both as a habitat for many animal species and bio-corridor for wetland and water animals. To the open space of meadows there are attached wide marshes with continuous vegetation of willows (mainly eared willow and grey willow). Another interesting feature of this area if a swan family with grey young swans (in 2002, rare white young swans were seen). Many coots can be also observed here.
In Podhůrka, many species of insects can be found; sometimes very rare species ones – in the meadows adjacent to the brook which flows through the marsh, a very rare tailed-blue butterfly can be observed.

Lány Game Park

The rear of the park forms a part of the Lány Game Park established by the Wallenstein family in 1713. The game park, a part of Křivoklátsko LPA, is fenced and closed to the public. In the area there also stands so called 'Dohodový dub' (Entente Oak) at which the Little Entente was signed in 1922. Government meetings are held in villa Amálie situated approximately 2 km of the castle. Currently, the game park occupies an area of 3000 ha (11.58 mi2) and its main purpose is breeding pedigree game (red deer, fallow deer, moufflon and sika deer). Valleys of Klíčava brook and Lánský brook extend through the area and the elevation in the game park varies from 240 m (787 ft) to 470 m (1542 ft) above sea level. Inside the game park, remains of fortified settlement Šance are situated and there are ruins of inaccessible Jivno hunting lodge on one of the headlands. To use the words of Lány Forestry Administration Director, Lány Game Park is the oldest historical game park in Europe and in the world. Nowadays, only a small part is accessible to the public – the newly created educational trail the Lány Game Park.