About this place
Kladrubská hora is a small but ecologically significant nature reserve in South Bohemia, Czech Republic, part of the Tábor district within the Křemešnická vrchovina upland. It sits between the villages of Dolní Hořice and Kladruby, roughly 12 kilometres from Tábor, and combines a forested hilltop with an extensive, long-abandoned three-level limestone quarry surrounded by several smaller pits.
What makes Kladrubská hora a protected area?
The reserve was declared in 1990 and covers 11.42 hectares. It is also registered within the EU-wide Natura 2000 network as a Site of Community Importance (EVL) under the code CZ0312035, reflecting a conservation value that extends well beyond the local or national level.
Why is this site so important for nature?
The reserve owes its protected status largely to the presence of the lady's slipper orchid (Cypripedium calceolus), a species protected across Europe and increasingly rare in Central European landscapes. Alongside it grow several other notable and protected plants: the critically endangered rustyback fern (Ceterach officinarum), the white helleborine (Cephalanthera damasonium), the dark-red helleborine (Epipactis atrorubens), and tall oat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius). The varied terrain — sun-exposed rocky ledges of the former quarry set against the shaded forest crowning the hill — allows species with very different habitat needs to coexist within a small area.
What animal life can be found here?
Faunistically, the reserve is notable chiefly for its abundant population of the heath snail (Xerolenta obvia) and other land molluscs, which thrive on the warm, lime-rich ground of the old workings. The rocky faces and surrounding scrub also attract a variety of birds, drawing on both the open, sun-warmed quarry terrain and the adjacent woodland.
Where did the quarry come from?
Limestone extraction at Kladrubská hora is documented as far back as 1789, the earliest known record of quarrying at the site. The stone had real economic weight for the surrounding area: in 1873, the manager of the Chýnov estate had a modern shaft lime kiln of the Rüdesdorff type built here, evidence of an industrial-scale lime production operation at the time. After quarrying ceased, pioneer vegetation gradually colonised the abandoned workings, producing the mosaic-like rock-and-forest landscape visible today.
What can visitors see at the reserve?
The main draw for visitors is what remains of the three-level quarry — clearly visible rock faces exposing the layered limestone and traces of past mining activity. It's an unusual chance to take in, within a small area, both the region's underlying geology and the gradual way nature has reclaimed it. A walk along the path through the reserve offers a quick contrast between the dry, sun-baked rock faces and the cool, shaded forest at the hilltop.
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is Kladrubská hora located? In the Tábor district of South Bohemia, between the villages of Dolní Hořice and Kladruby, about 12 km from Tábor.
How large is the reserve? It covers 11.42 hectares and was established in 1990.
Why was this site protected? Mainly for the presence of the lady's slipper orchid and other rare lime-loving plants, as well as the geological value of the former quarry.
Is it part of the Natura 2000 network? Yes, as a Site of Community Importance with the code CZ0312035.
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