Kaštanka

Kaštanka is a small but unusual nature monument on the edge of Nasavrky, in the town's local part called Drahotice, in the Chrudim district of the Pardubice region in the Czech Republic. It protects a park-like orchard of old sweet chestnut trees — a species rarely found in this part of the country, and one of the highest-elevation chestnut plantings in Europe.

How did chestnut trees end up in Nasavrky?

The orchard was planted in the 1770s by Prince Auersperg, who owned the local estate. Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) is a Mediterranean tree, so growing it in the cooler climate of the Železné hory highlands was, at the time, something of an experiment — one that clearly worked, since a number of the original trees are still standing. The oldest and largest specimen is known locally as "Knížák" ("the Prince's tree"), and together with roughly a dozen others it dates back to that original 18th-century planting, some two and a half centuries ago.

How many chestnut trees grow there today?

The count has shifted over the decades. A 1987 survey recorded 141 trees; a recount ten years later found 125. Today the orchard holds around a hundred trees — the decline is due to a fungal disease that has affected part of the planting. Roughly twenty trees from the original 18th-century group have survived, including "Knížák".

How large is the protected area?

The site covers just over a hectare (about 1.08 ha) and has the character of a landscaped park rather than a wild forest — an old, carefully arranged orchard that today reads almost like a small town park set into the countryside on the outskirts of Nasavrky.

Since when has Kaštanka been protected?

Protection was first proposed in 1986, and the site was formally declared a nature monument on 1 December 1990 by the district national committee in Chrudim. Kaštanka lies within the Železné hory Protected Landscape Area, which adds a further layer of landscape protection to the surrounding countryside.

What else lives around the orchard?

The site and its surroundings host several protected species: sand lizards and slow worms can be found here, along with the field bumblebee, and occasionally the spotted nutcracker and tawny owl put in an appearance. A nature education trail passes nearby, as does the Celtic Trail (Keltská stezka) through the Železné hory, so a visit here can easily be combined with a longer walk through the area.

Is the site freely accessible?

Yes — there are no access restrictions, which makes it an easy stop for a short walk, especially in autumn, when Nasavrky holds a local chestnut-harvest festival.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kaštanka? A nature monument protecting a historic sweet chestnut orchard on the outskirts of Nasavrky, in the town's Drahotice part.

Who planted the chestnut orchard? It was planted in the 1770s by Prince Auersperg, owner of the local estate.

How many trees grow there now? Around a hundred, down from 141 recorded in 1987 — the decline is due to a fungal disease.

Is entry free and unrestricted? Yes, the site is open to the public with no special permit needed.

How do you get to Kaštanka? It sits right on the edge of Nasavrky, in the Drahotice part, within the Chrudim district of the Pardubice region — a natural stop on walks through the Železné hory highlands.