PP Úpolíny u Kamenice

Úpolíny u Kamenice is a small but ecologically significant nature monument (přírodní památka) located roughly 1.5 km northwest of the town of Trhová Kamenice, in the Chrudim district, within the Železné hory (Iron Mountains) area of the Czech Republic. The reserve protects marshy and wet meadows that today serve as a last refuge for several rare and endangered vascular plants.

How did this protected area come to be?

The site was declared a nature monument in 1996. It is managed by the Nature and Landscape Protection Agency of the Czech Republic (AOPK ČR), specifically its Eastern Bohemia regional office. The reserve's name comes from the Czech word "upolín," the local name for the globeflower (Trollius europaeus) — a striking, yellow, ball-shaped flower from the buttercup family that finds one of its habitats on these wet meadows.

What exactly is being protected here?

The subject of protection is a complex of boggy and wet meadows hosting several legally protected plant species. The most notable of these is the bog myrtle willow (Salix myrtilloides), a small shrub whose presence in the Czech Republic has been confirmed at only three other locations nationwide. This makes Úpolíny u Kamenice significant well beyond a purely regional scale — it is one of very few known refuges for this species anywhere in the country.

Alongside the bog myrtle willow, the meadows are home to the globeflower mentioned above, as well as narrowleaf cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium) — a typical peatland and wet-meadow species recognizable by its fluffy white seed heads — and variegated monkshood (Aconitum variegatum), a plant from the buttercup family that favors moist, nutrient-rich sites.

Can visitors reach the site?

No marked hiking trail runs directly through the nature monument itself. The closest route is a yellow-marked trail connecting Trhová Kamenice with Petrkov, which passes near but does not enter the protected meadow. It's worth noting that a strict ban on entering the meadow is in effect across the entire protected area — a necessary measure to safeguard the fragile wetland environment and the rare plants growing there, which can easily be damaged simply by walking on the boggy ground.

Why does this small reserve matter?

Úpolíny u Kamenice is a good example of how a modest, unassuming patch of landscape can carry outsized importance for biodiversity conservation. Wet meadows of this type have become increasingly rare across Central Europe, as many were drained for agriculture in past decades. The presence of the bog myrtle willow — a species known in the Czech Republic from only four locations in total, including this one — makes the reserve one of the key nature conservation sites in the Železné hory region.

For visitors exploring the area around Trhová Kamenice, the reserve is a notable stop on the region's natural heritage map, though because of the entry ban it can only be admired from a respectful distance, for instance from the nearby yellow trail. The site is a reminder that protecting nature sometimes simply means leaving a piece of landscape undisturbed.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Úpolíny u Kamenice located? About 1.5 km northwest of Trhová Kamenice, in the Chrudim district of the Czech Republic.

When was the reserve established? In 1996.

What is the most valuable species found here? The bog myrtle willow (Salix myrtilloides), known in the Czech Republic from only four locations, including this reserve.

Is it possible to enter the reserve? No, there is a strict ban on entering the protected meadow.

Is there a hiking trail through the site? Not through the reserve itself, but a yellow-marked trail runs nearby, connecting Trhová Kamenice and Petrkov.