About this place
Pod Kazbalem — a wet meadow in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands
Pod Kazbalem is a small natural monument (přírodní památka) lying west of the village of Uhelná Příbram, in the Havlíčkův Brod district of the Vysočina Region. Administratively, the site falls under the Vysočina Regional Authority and belongs to the cadastral territory of Petrovice u Uhelné Příbramě, in the Chotěbořsko area of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands (Českomoravská vrchovina).
How large is the protected site?
The protected area covers just 0.80 hectares, making it one of the smaller natural monuments in the region. Its modest size doesn't diminish its ecological value — on the contrary, the narrow boundary lets conservation focus tightly on one fragile patch of habitat rather than a broad, generic landscape.
What exactly is being protected here?
The site protects a fragment of wet meadows within the catchment of the Hostačovka stream. It borders the Velký Kazbal pond, from which the location takes its name. The proximity of the pond and the surrounding hydrology have shaped a distinct habitat type: damp meadows that retain a high groundwater level through most of the year.
What plants grow here?
The wet meadows of Pod Kazbalem are home to irises and gladioli — species typical of damp, extensively managed meadows found in forested and sub-mountain parts of the Czech Republic. Their presence was the main reason the site was granted legal protection. Meadow habitats of this kind are disappearing across the Czech countryside as land is drained and farming intensifies, which makes surviving remnants like this one increasingly important for preserving local biodiversity.
Where exactly is Pod Kazbalem located?
The site lies west of the village of Uhelná Příbram, amid the rolling hills, forests, and small watercourses typical of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. Its approximate coordinates are 49.7579 N, 15.5667 E. The surrounding Chotěbořsko area is known for its patchwork of small villages, ponds, and scattered natural monuments woven through fields and woodland.
Who is this place for?
Pod Kazbalem appeals to nature lovers and botany enthusiasts who appreciate quiet, low-key sites away from the main tourist routes. Given its small footprint and the sensitivity of the meadow habitat it protects, visitors should stick to marked paths and avoid stepping directly onto the protected meadow, especially during the flowering season of the irises and gladioli.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pod Kazbalem? It is a natural monument covering 0.80 hectares that protects a fragment of wet meadows in the Hostačovka stream catchment, next to the Velký Kazbal pond.
Where is it located? West of the village of Uhelná Příbram, in the Havlíčkův Brod district of the Vysočina Region, within the cadastral territory of Petrovice u Uhelné Příbramě.
Why was the site protected? Because of the irises and gladioli growing on its wet meadows — a habitat that is becoming increasingly rare in the farmed landscape of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands.
How big is the protected area? It covers 0.80 hectares, making it one of the smaller natural monuments in the Chotěbořsko area.
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