Krivoklatsko

The Berounka winds through a deep wooded valley west of Prague and the country either side of it has been forest for as long as records exist, because it was a royal hunting reserve from the twelfth century and successive rulers kept it that way - the Premyslid and later kings hunted here and forbade clearance, which is why Krivoklatsko now holds some of the most extensive oak and beech woodland in Bohemia. It became a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1977 and a protected landscape area, covering about six hundred square kilometres. The old oak stands support an exceptional insect fauna, particularly beetles dependent on veteran trees, and there are rocky steppe patches on the sunny valley sides. Krivoklat castle, one of the best-preserved medieval royal castles in the country, sits in the middle of it. The valley railway runs through and is the pleasant way to arrive.

The landscape

• Old oak and beech - among the most extensive stands in Bohemia.
• A meandering river valley - the Berounka cutting through the forest.
• Seven centuries of protection - kept as a royal hunting ground from the 1100s.
• A biosphere reserve - designated by UNESCO in 1977.

When to go

April to October. Two days.

What to expect

Ticks are a serious problem here from spring to autumn. Trails are long and services between villages are thin. The castle and the valley railway are busy at summer weekends.

Nearby

Krivoklat castle is in the middle of it; Beroun is downstream.

Key facts