Nebe

Nebe is a small nature reserve located about one and a half kilometers southeast of the town of Kašperské Hory, on the right side of road II/145 heading toward Řetenice. It lies within the Šumava National Park and Protected Landscape Area and is managed by the Šumava National Park Administration. Despite its name, which means "heaven" in Czech, the reserve is not a scenic overlook or mountain meadow — it's a shaded, waterlogged pocket of forest where groundwater sits close to the surface for most of the year.

Why was this area protected?

The reserve was established to protect a small but valuable fragment of ecosystem serving as a habitat for rare and endangered plant and animal species. Areas like this carry regional ecological, scientific, and aesthetic significance precisely because so few patches of near-natural wetland forest remain across the wider Šumava region.

What kind of landscape does the reserve preserve?

The core of the reserve consists of waterlogged alder and willow forest interspersed with meadows that are either seasonally or permanently flooded. A high groundwater table gives both the forest floor and the open meadow patches a boggy character — the ground yields underfoot, and standing water collects in depressions for much of the year. This kind of habitat mosaic is typical of the foothill valleys of Šumava, where slow-moving streams and poor drainage favor the formation of peat bogs and forest mires.

What plants grow here?

The waterlogged soil supports several plant species considered endangered. Among them are mountain wood fern, Siberian iris, and lady's slipper orchids. Of particular conservation value is the presence of coral-root orchid (Corallorhiza trifida), a very rare and highly endangered species whose occurrence is itself a strong indicator of the high quality and stability of the local microhabitat. Orchids and ferns of this kind depend on very specific moisture and soil-chemistry conditions, which makes their presence a reliable marker of an ecosystem's naturalness.

Why does the reserve matter for birds?

Nebe is also tied to the story of the white-backed woodpecker's return to Šumava. The species' local population died out in the area in the early 20th century, but since the 1990s it has been gradually reappearing thanks to a reintroduction program. Old, waterlogged deciduous stands rich in dead and decaying wood provide exactly the kind of foraging and nesting habitat this woodpecker needs — making reserves like Nebe a key piece of the habitat network required for the species to re-establish itself permanently.

Is it worth visiting as a tourist?

Nebe is not a scenic reserve in the traditional sense — there are no viewpoints or dramatic rock formations here. It appeals to visitors interested in the quieter, less obvious but equally valuable side of Šumava's nature: wetlands, forest mires, and rare bog flora. Its proximity to Kašperské Hory, a historic mining town with its own castle, makes it easy to combine a stop here with sightseeing in the area — a calm, nature-focused complement to the region's more famous attractions.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Nebe reserve located? About 1.5 km southeast of Kašperské Hory, on road II/145 toward Řetenice, within Šumava National Park.

Which protected plant species grow there? Mountain wood fern, Siberian iris, lady's slipper orchids, and the rare coral-root orchid.

Why is the reserve significant for birdlife? It is one of the sites where the white-backed woodpecker has been returning since the 1990s, after its local population went extinct in the early 20th century.

Are there marked trails through the reserve? Because of the sensitive, waterlogged terrain, reserves of this type typically have limited tourist infrastructure — it's best to check current markings on site or at the Šumava National Park information center in Kašperské Hory.