The most beautiful natural sites to discover Czech Republic

It grows at 1,299 m. It is a high altitude for the country. But his round summit gives him a look of simple wooded hill. In summer and winter, you can reach the summit in a lift (departures every half-hour from April to November between 9 a. m. and 6 p. m.). In summer, to win the altitude hiking trails. In winter, to go back to the 10 km of alpine ski slopes. One of them is 3 km, one of the longest in the country. On its slopes and in the surrounding valleys, ground skiers will find 50 km of slopes.

The path goes up the valley of Skalní Potok to discover the most beautiful rock formations of the reserve. This is the most used path. A path climbs (don't look down too much...) to the ruins of Střmen Castle, a wooden fort destroyed by the Hussites in 1447. From there, the view is superb. From the town of Teplice, another path runs along the Kraví Hora (703 m) and Supí Skálý (771 m) mountains to visit other rock formations.

Built in the last century, where in 1262 Přemysl Otakar II was crowned, this park offers opportunities for walks and incomparable views of the city. The place used to host crowds during the traditional May^Day parades. However, on November 25, 1989, Pragians witnessed the Victory handshake between Václav Havel and Alexander Dubček. From the top of the hill, a giant statue of Stalin (30 m high) dominated the city for a while. Its construction in 1953 took 500 days and saw the suicide of its author Otakar Švec, just before the completion of his work. Embarrassed by this excessive and omnipresent personality cult, the government proceeded to destroy it in 1962. The stone colossus was blown up with dynamite and its remains used as fill in the construction sites of the time. Today it is replaced by an unexpected giant (mobile) metronome, which symbolizes the passing of time. Skaters are particularly fond of this area, as are the partygoers who gather here in the summer. Those who prefer to watch sports also know the place well, as the Sparta stadium is located nearby. But of course, you can also just walk along the paths to the Royal Gardens and Prague Castle, or take a break at the Hanavský Pavilion, a reminder of the 1891 exhibition. The neo-baroque style of the pavilion heralds the nearby Art Nouveau. The view from its terrace is exceptional.

Opened since 1956, it now houses 300 species of animals worldwide and participates in a series of endangered species protection programs.

He was born in the east of Stromovka Park in 1891 during the Jubilee exhibition. This immense exhibition for the time included 150 pavilions. This great complex was rehabilitated in 1991. Today, it is an exhibition park, a renowned carnival party that deserves a detour, an exceptional lapidarium, a magic fountain and an aquarium.

This former royal hunting reserve has become a huge park organized around a few watering holes and very popular with Pragians on sunny days. Coming from the exhibition park, you quickly come across the Planetarium. It was built after the Second World War and has become one of the largest in the world with its 23 m diameter dome. Very popular with families, it allows you to immerse yourself in the cosmos during breathtaking panoramic projections.

This hiking-friendly area stretches between Holašovice in the north and Český Krumlov in the south. The protected area covers 212 km² and is dominated by Mount Kleť (1,084 m). Many marked trails lead to the panoramic tower of the mountain. The less courageous and those in a hurry can take the small chairlift from the parking lot in Krasetín, 5 km from Holubov. Thrill seekers can also take a canoe trip on the Vltava River - an exciting and unforgettable experience.

Around Třeboň, a beautiful region of quiet ponds and deep forests spreads out. This exceptional environment has earned Třeboň the nickname "city of ponds". But more importantly, part (700 km2) of this wonderful mirror landscape has been listed as a Unesco biosphere reserve since 1977. These lands are very fertile and partly exploited for centuries. But when the first inhabitants arrived, it was very difficult to grow anything. When it was decided to build Třeboň, the area was deserted, because inhospitable. So the newcomers irrigated, drained, transformed the surrounding land. Thus, these artificial ponds (rybník) allowed for intense fish farming and export of fish throughout Central Europe, including the famous "Třeboň carp" (carp is the favorite fish of the Czechs, they cook it in many ways, throughout the year, and at Christmas in particular). You can walk through these beautiful landscapes along marked paths, starting from Masarykovo náměstí square in Třeboň and passing through Rožmberk, Hodějov, Smítka, Klec ponds and many others (campground addresses, information and maps at the tourist office in Třeboň). These tours are not difficult and can be done on foot, by bike, and some ponds, in the summer season, can be crossed by canoe. Enough to vary the pleasures of discovery of this beautiful region!

The vault of this family is located on the other side of the Svět Pond, in a beautiful park. The vault-chapel is a rather pretentious pseudo-Gothic ensemble, which is due to the architects Schmidt and Deworetzky who built it in 1877. The members of the Schwarzenberg dynasty who died after 1785 are buried here. The surrounding park is an ideal place for a picnic. You can walk around the Svět Pond (12 km). This walk is a popular romantic activity for the locals.

This protected natural area is the most important in the region. Very sparsely populated, it covers a large triangle of 610 km² whose peaks would be Karlovy Vary, Cheb and Mariánské Lázně. The altitude is modest: between 374 m and 983 m. But the overall landscape is exceptional: forests, meadows, Prameny rock formations, mineral and gas eruptions and especially the set of peat bogs around Kladská. Beautiful hiking trails crisscross the area.

This land with peat bogs, called Von Šovsko (or Soos), is an exceptional phenomenon in Europe. These landes of volcanic origin cover a 10 mile stretch over 2 mile wide. Peat, transpierced by mineral springs, creates very spectacular gas geysers.

This beautiful and wild reserve covers an area of 83 km2, between Mikulov and the Novomlýnska reservoir. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a biosphere reserve of interest (rare flora and fauna). The tourist office in Mikulov provides hiking maps of the area. Don't hesitate to climb its austere mountains: you will be rewarded with the discovery of an arid land that looks more like the Russian steppe than a Central European landscape.

This national park, which covers an area of 63 km², extends along the river near Vranov. The river here has formed a kind of canyon 40 km long. The surrounding area is covered by a beautiful forest and wild moors. The park can be reached very easily by bus or train and is a very nice nature trip to do for a day. The website is particularly well presented and will help you to organize your stay in the park.

This 92 km² nature reserve is known for its caves and remains a very important area for scientists and archaeologists looking for information about the roots of human beings. The rocky terrain allows many species of bats to live in harmony. For the connoisseurs of the flora, the most interested ones will be able to see the cortuse of Matthioli, plant that grows in the zones of glaciers, that continues to bloom here on the side of the rocks. It is recognizable by its beautiful purple flowers.

This is the part of the Jeseník mountains where the relief is the steepest. Remains quite soft, taking up, you can admire the forest that weaves as far as the eye can see.

Between Šumperk and Jeseník, you can stop in Červenehorské Sedlo. From here, a marked path takes you to the highest point of the massif, mount Praděd (1 491 m). At the top of the latter, why not eat in the telephone tower 160 m high? While lunch, you can admire the landscape around even more, because if the weather is nice, you can see, it seems, the Slovak mountains or Krkonoše. But much walks can be considered (from the cities, Ramzova, Šerák, Keprník, etc.). It is enough to trust the good menu provided by the Tourist Offices. Each season has their charm. In summer and autumn, the massif is a paradise for gatherers of fruit and wood mushrooms.

It is the largest site of its kind in Moravia. A path is set along one of the lakes more or less covered by vegetation.

This lake called mousse is the main one of this peat bog, an area dating back 7,000 years. Paintings explain the rare plants and animals found here, in this particular environment. As in all the peat bogs in Europe, the place is ideal for legends.

At 1,491 m, Mount Praded is the fifth highest peak in the Czech Republic. It can be reached from Karlova Studánka. Follow the signs to the Barborka hostel, from there a 4 km marked trail (easy level) leads up to the summit, passing some waterfalls and other natural wonders. At the top, the 145 m high TV tower houses a good restaurant, but a good picnic will prove to be just as pleasant and less touristy. The summit can also be reached by a 12 km trail from Červenohorské sedlo (on Route 44).

Don't hesitate to take a walk through the Šipka National Park and Memorial with its many monuments and statues dedicated to Czech personalities, and a magnificent view of the city. At the foot of the hill you will see the entrance to the famous Šipka Cave (Jeskyně Šipka), where the jawbone of a Neanderthal child and other Paleolithic artifacts were discovered in 1880. A nice walk to take and a great chlorophyll bath in perspective.

Luhačovice hosts the headquarters of this beautiful reserve, which covers almost 715 km². It is a hilly area (between 240 m and 970 m) covered with forests and moors, where countless species of flowers grow. At the city's information center, you will find maps of the hiking trails that crisscross the area. There are trails for all levels and lengths of time. On the way, you can discover the fauna and flora of the region, but also the local human activities.

Between Turnov and Semily (by route No. 283), go to the Chata na Kozákově, on the heights of Kozákov, at an altitude of 743 m (Hora Kozákov). This chalet-restaurant located on the top of the hill offers a superb view of the giant Krkonoše Mountains and the Bohemian Paradise. A paragliding trail next to the restaurant, advice to amateurs. You can still climb the guet tower. It is also the ideal place for those who want to escape from tourism in Prague. Everything is authentic here, including the warm welcome of the people of the region. Kozákov and its surroundings have been known for centuries as an area where precious stones are "sprung": agates, amethysts, jaspes…