Blaník Protected Landscape Area

Chráněná krajinná oblast Blaník is a protected landscape area in central Bohemia, Czech Republic, situated in the Central Bohemian Region, in the Benešov district, near the village of Louňovice pod Blaníkem. The area lies within the Vlašimská pahorkatina mesoregion and was granted protected status on 1 January 1982.

Where exactly is this area located?

The reference point for the area is given by the coordinates 49.6394°N, 14.8622°E, placing it near Louňovice pod Blaníkem in the Benešov district. This puts the area in central Bohemia, administratively part of the Central Bohemian Region (Středočeský kraj), and physically within the Vlašimská pahorkatina — a hilly mesoregion of this part of the country.

When was the area given protected status?

Chráněná krajinná oblast Blaník was formally established on 1 January 1982. This date places it within the broader, long-standing Czech system of protected landscape areas (CHKO), which covers parts of the country valued for their natural or scenic qualities without carrying the stricter status of a national park or a strict nature reserve, while still being subject to a formal, if lighter, protective regime.

What does "chráněná krajinná oblast" actually mean?

The name itself — Chráněná krajinná oblast, abbreviated CHKO — designates a specific category within the Czech nature-protection system: a protected landscape area. This form of protection usually covers larger, spatially coherent territories where preserving landscape and natural values is combined with allowing a defined level of human activity, as opposed to the more restrictive regime of nature reserves or national parks. The Blaník area falls precisely into this category, meaning its legal status is aimed at preserving the character of the Vlašimská pahorkatina landscape as a whole.

What kind of region does this area represent?

The Vlašimská pahorkatina, the mesoregion in which the area lies, is a physical-geographical unit of central Bohemia — a hilly stretch of land bordering other mesoregions in this part of the country. Its administrative placement within the Benešov district of the Central Bohemian Region locates the area south of Prague, in a part of Bohemia known for a mix of smaller settlements, forests, and agricultural land interspersed with hilly terrain.

Frequently asked questions

When was Chráněná krajinná oblast Blaník established? The area received protected status on 1 January 1982.

In which region of the Czech Republic is the area located? In the Central Bohemian Region, in the Benešov district, within the Vlašimská pahorkatina mesoregion.

What are the area's geographic coordinates? Approximately 49.6394°N, 14.8622°E, near Louňovice pod Blaníkem.

Is a "chráněná krajinná oblast" the same as a national park? No. It is a distinct nature-protection category used in the Czech Republic — a protected landscape area — covering larger territories under a protective regime different from that of national parks or strict nature reserves.

Which settlement is closest to this area? Louňovice pod Blaníkem, in the Benešov district.