Les na dolíku

Les na dolíku is a small but botanically significant nature monument within the Žďárské vrchy Protected Landscape Area, in the section known as the Kameničská highlands. It lies southeast of the village of Rváčov, in the Chrudim district of the Pardubice Region, close to the border with the Vysočina Region. The protected site covers 5.17 hectares at elevations of 545 to 590 metres above sea level.

Why was this forest protected?

The nature monument was established on 21 November 1990 and is managed by the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, regional office for the Žďárské vrchy Protected Landscape Area. Protection was granted because of a meandering stream running through a dense forest stand, in whose valley grows Soldanella montana (dřípatka horská), a low-growing plant with fringed, bell-shaped flowers. This population is exceptional: it represents the northernmost occurrence of the species within its alpine range and the only currently known population in eastern Bohemia.

What is the underlying geology?

The bedrock is formed by granodiorites and porphyries belonging to the Železné hory pluton. In the stream valley, where moisture is retained periodically, pseudogleys and acidic cambisols have developed. This combination of rock and soil sustains the damp, shaded conditions that Soldanella montana and its companion plants require.

What plants and animals live here?

Alongside Soldanella montana, the forest floor supports buttercups, purging flax and species of rose and primrose — plants typical of moist, semi-natural forest and forest-edge communities. The damp surroundings of the stream also favour amphibians: alpine newts and common frogs breed here, using the meandering watercourse and waterlogged hollows as natural spawning habitat. Recorded bird species include the white wagtail, the Eurasian wren and the blue tit, all associated with both the streambanks and the dense forest undergrowth.

What makes this site distinctive?

The value of Les na dolíku lies chiefly in the combination of a naturally meandering forest stream and a relict population of Soldanella montana, a plant normally associated with higher elevations of the Alps. Its presence so far from the species' main range gives this small forest near Rváčov an importance that extends beyond ordinary regional nature protection. The site also preserves the natural character of the stream valley together with its associated vegetation and wetland-adapted fauna.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Les na dolíku located? The nature monument lies southeast of the village of Rváčov, in the Chrudim district of the Pardubice Region, within the Žďárské vrchy Protected Landscape Area.

How large is the protected area? It covers 5.17 hectares, at an elevation of 545 to 590 metres above sea level.

Since when has the site been protected? It has been protected since 21 November 1990.

What is the main reason for its protection? A meandering forest stream and the presence of Soldanella montana, whose population here is the northernmost within its alpine range and the only one currently known in eastern Bohemia.

Which animals can be observed at the site? Amphibians include alpine newts and common frogs, while birds recorded here include the white wagtail, Eurasian wren and blue tit.