Černá jezírka

Černá jezírka is a nature reserve in the Jizera Mountains (Jizerské hory) in the Czech Republic, sitting at an elevation of 885–912 meters on the European watershed between the Baltic and North Seas. The reserve lies within the municipality of Kořenov, in the Jablonec nad Nisou district, near a spot known as Rybí loučky, on the edge of the central Jizera ridge.

What is actually inside the reserve?

Despite its name, which translates roughly to "black little lakes," Černá jezírka is not a lake at all. It is a cluster of four overgrown peatlands spread across a mountain plateau: Černá jezírka itself, Tetřeví louka, Velká Krásná louka, and Malá Krásná louka. These bogs are surrounded largely by dead, waterlogged spruce forest — a direct result of centuries of waterlogging and a persistently high water table. In some spots the peat layer exceeds 4 meters in depth, evidence of an extremely slow, millennia-long process of peat accumulation.

Why does this place matter ecologically?

Mountain peat bogs like Černá jezírka rank among the rarest and most valuable ecosystems in Central Europe. Their significance was formally recognized on an international level in 2012, when a large portion of the Jizera Mountains peatlands — including Černá jezírka, Rašeliniště Jizery, Rašeliniště Jizerky, Rybí loučky, Klečové louky, U Posedu, Na Knajpě, Vlčí louka, and Na Čihadle — was designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. This designation is reserved for sites that play a key role in preserving biodiversity tied to wetland and bog habitats.

How accessible is the reserve to visitors?

Because of the difficult, marshy terrain, most of the reserve is effectively off-limits to hikers on foot — stepping onto the saturated peat would be both hazardous and damaging to the fragile bog vegetation. A boardwalk trail, however, runs through a small section of the area, letting visitors observe the distinctive peatland plant life up close without disturbing the ground beneath it. This kind of controlled access is typical for protecting such sensitive terrain, balancing nature tourism with the preservation of a genuinely unique ecosystem.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Černá jezírka located? The reserve lies in the Jizera Mountains, within the municipality of Kořenov, at an elevation of 885–912 meters, close to Rybí loučky.

Can visitors walk freely across the bog? No — most of the terrain is inaccessible due to its marshy character. Visitors can only explore via a designated boardwalk trail, which covers a small part of the reserve.

Is it a lake or a peatland? Despite the name suggesting lakes, Černá jezírka is actually a group of four overgrown peat bogs surrounded by waterlogged spruce forest, not a conventional body of water.

Why is this site protected? Because of its unique, centuries-long peat formation process (locally exceeding 4 meters in depth) and its status as an internationally important wetland under the Ramsar Convention, granted in 2012.

What other peatlands lie nearby? Neighboring protected areas include Rašeliniště Jizery and Rašeliniště Jizerky, both also listed under the Ramsar Convention alongside Černá jezírka.