Lanův kopec

Lanův kopec is a basalt hill rising to 426 meters above sea level, the highest point of the Židlov game reserve (Obora Židlov) in the Česká Lípa district of northern Czechia. The hill sits within the former cadastral territory of the vanished village of Svébořice, in the Ralsko Uplands — a landscape that spent decades as a closed-off military training ground and today forms part of the wider Ralsko Geopark area.

How high is Lanův kopec and what is it made of?

The summit reaches 426 meters above sea level and stands out clearly from its surroundings: geologically it is built of basalt, a dark volcanic rock, while the rest of the Židlov reserve is dominated by sandy soils and sandstone rock formations. That contrast makes Lanův kopec a textbook example of the volcanic "inselbergs" typical of the Ralsko Uplands — solitary, hard volcanic remnants poking above a gentler sandstone landscape, a legacy of the Tertiary volcanic activity that shaped this whole part of northern Bohemia.

What is Obora Židlov, and why does the hill sit inside it?

Obora Židlov is the second-largest game reserve in Czechia, covering roughly 3,795 hectares of forest east and southeast of the town of Mimoň. It was established in 2000 on the site of the former Ralsko military training area, and it takes its name from the vanished village of Židlov, which served as a tank firing range during the military era. Today the reserve supports red deer (a target population of around 700), mouflon (around 300), and — since 2011 — a small herd of European bison (targeting roughly 25 animals), set within forests dominated by pine, with spruce and beech mixed in.

What is the history behind this landscape?

The area around Lanův kopec was once the village of Svébořice, first documented in 1325 and held for about a century by the Vartenberk family. After 1945 the German-speaking population was expelled, and in 1946 the village was liquidated to make way for the Ralsko military training ground. From 1968 to 1991 the area was occupied by the Soviet army, which left behind ruined military structures still scattered through the surrounding forest. Today only a handful of people live in the wider former-Svébořice area, mostly at the isolated Pavlin Dvůr farmstead.

Can visitors reach the hill, and what should they know beforehand?

The reserve can only be entered on foot or by bike along marked routes, through designated access gates — free movement across the former training ground is restricted both because of leftover military hazards and because the area functions as an active hunting reserve. One quirk worth knowing: public transport reaches the area just once a year, during the Proměny land-art festival — outside that event, visitors need their own transport and a walk along the reserve's marked trails to get here.

Frequently asked questions

How high is Lanův kopec? 426 meters above sea level, making it the highest point of Obora Židlov.

What rock is Lanův kopec made of? Basalt — a dark volcanic rock that contrasts with the sandstone bedrock of the surrounding area.

Where exactly is Lanův kopec located? Within the former village territory of Svébořice, inside Obora Židlov, in the Česká Lípa district, a few kilometers east/southeast of Mimoň.

Can you freely hike up Lanův kopec? Access is limited to marked walking and cycling routes through designated gates — this is still part of the former Ralsko military training ground.

What wildlife lives in the area? Red deer, mouflon, and — since 2011 — a small herd of European bison, along with roe deer, fallow deer, and wild boar.