Kohoutov

Kohoutov is a national nature reserve lying east of the village of Ostrovec, within the municipality of Ostrovec-Lhotka, in the Rokycany District of the Plzeň Region. The reserve sits in the south-western part of the Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area, roughly seven kilometres north-north-west of Zbiroh. Geomorphologically it belongs to the Křivoklátská Highlands, and more specifically to the Zbirožská Highlands subunit, whose bedrock is formed by volcanic rhyolites and rhyolitic tuffs.

What does the Kohoutov reserve protect?

The reserve was declared in 1966 across an area of 30.5 hectares, established to protect a natural forest stand together with its accompanying herbaceous vegetation. The dominant tree species is European beech, accompanied by sessile oak and small-leaved lime, while on the rockier sections sycamore maple and ash also appear. The forest on Kohoutov has a near-primeval character — one of those rare surviving patches of beech woodland that escaped the intensive forestry management applied to most of the surrounding land. This naturalness supports rare insect life, including the beetle Stagetus pilula, considered a notable rarity in the Czech Republic.

How did Kohoutov become a primeval forest?

The site's history reaches back to the late 18th century, when timber felling and charcoal burning took place in the woods around the Kohoutov peak — traces of the old charcoal-burning kilns are still visible today. A turning point came in the 1930s, when the forest on Kohoutov was withdrawn from ordinary forestry management because of its natural character. This was thanks to the efforts of the Colloredo-Mansfeld family, owners of the Zbiroh estate to which Kohoutov belonged.

Who was particularly drawn to this place?

The site held special significance for Jeroným Colloredo-Mansfeld, former owner of the Zbiroh estate, who regularly walked through this natural forest. In his later years he lived in a wooden cabin next to the forester's lodge. After his death, his nephew Jeroným, together with his wife Livia, built a chapel here in his memory — a modest but telling trace of the bond between the owning family and this stretch of woodland.

Where does Kohoutov fit within the wider region?

The reserve lies within the municipality of Ostrovec-Lhotka, inside the Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area — one of the oldest and ecologically richest regions in the Czech Republic, known for its extensive, well-preserved forest complexes covering the hills above the Berounka River. Though small in area, Kohoutov forms an important piece of this mosaic: a forest that, thanks to decisions made nearly a century ago, has retained its natural character to this day.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Kohoutov reserve located? East of the village of Ostrovec, within the municipality of Ostrovec-Lhotka, in Rokycany District, in the south-western part of the Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area.

How large is the reserve? It covers 30.5 hectares.

When was the reserve established? In 1966.

Which trees dominate the forest at Kohoutov? European beech, with an admixture of sessile oak and small-leaved lime, plus sycamore maple and ash on the rockier ground.

Why does the forest at Kohoutov have a near-primeval character? Because already in the 1930s, thanks to the Colloredo-Mansfeld family, it was excluded from regular forestry management.