Motolský ordovik

Motolský ordovik is the smallest protected natural area in Prague — a nature monument covering just 0.2 hectares on the western edge of the city, between the districts of Motol and Stodůlky. It sits close to Motol Hospital, roughly 200 metres from the overpass above Bucharova Street, at an elevation of 336–338 metres above sea level. The site has been protected since 1 September 1988.

What exactly does this monument protect?

Unlike most of Prague's nature reserves, Motolský ordovik isn't protected for its plants or wildlife — it's protected for its geology. It's a rock outcrop exposed by the cut made for the Prague–Slaný railway line, revealing one of the city's most valuable geological profiles. The exposed layers document two stages of the Ordovician period — the Dobrotivé and Beroun stages — meaning the rock here is more than 460 million years old.

Why does this small cutting matter to geologists?

The exposed strata contain rich fossil deposits, mainly trilobites and hyoliths — marine organisms typical of the shallow seas of the Paleozoic era. For geologists and palaeontologists, an outcrop like this is valuable precisely because it offers a natural cross-section through successive sedimentary layers, making it possible to trace how the marine environment changed hundreds of millions of years ago. Profiles of this kind within a large city are rare; most comparable Ordovician exposures lie well outside built-up areas.

Can visitors just walk in?

The site is administered by the Prague City Hall. Access, however, is difficult: the area sits on a steep slope of the railway cutting, and entering is not recommended for anyone unfamiliar with the terrain — visitors do so at their own risk. As a result, Motolský ordovik sees essentially no tourist traffic and remains a destination almost exclusively for geology specialists and enthusiasts.

What borders Motolský ordovik?

On its northern side, the nature monument borders another protected area, Kalvárie v Motole (Calvary in Motol). Because the two sites are so close together, they partly share a protective buffer zone, meaning activities that could affect one are also assessed for their impact on the other.

Frequently asked questions

Is Motolský ordovik an easy stop on a walk through Prague? Not really — the terrain is hard to access and entry is at your own risk. It's a site of interest mainly to people curious about geology rather than a casual sightseeing spot.

What can visitors actually see there? Primarily a rock outcrop with Ordovician-age layers containing trilobite and hyolith fossils — evidence of an ancient marine environment.

Why is the protected area so small? The protection covers a specific geological exposure along a railway embankment rather than a broad ecosystem, which is why it measures only 0.2 hectares — the smallest of Prague's protected areas.

Who manages the site? Motolský ordovik is administered by the Prague City Hall.