Prameniště

Prameniště is a nature reserve stretched across the Pancíř ridge in the Šumava mountains, sitting between the village of Čachrov and the town of Železná Ruda in the Klatovy district. Unlike most protected areas, it isn't a single contiguous patch of land you could trace on a map with one finger — the reserve is split into four separate, unconnected sections: Šmauzy, Nový Brunst, Prameniště Řezné, and Zadní Pancíř. Each guards a different fragment of the Šumava's spring-fed highland landscape.

What exactly does the reserve protect?

At the core of the protected area lies a network of springs and peat bogs. One section covers the source area and the uppermost course of the Křemelná River, which begins on the eastern slope of Můstek mountain (1,235 m). Another protects the headwaters of its tributary, the Slatinný stream, running along the eastern side of Pancíř mountain (1,214 m). A third section holds the source area of the Řezná River, on Pancíř's southern slope. These three watercourses — Křemelná, Slatinný potok, and Řezná — explain why the reserve exists as scattered enclaves rather than one block of land: each patch protects the ground where one of these rivers is born.

What kind of landscape is found here?

The protected territory is a mosaic of wet habitats typical of the higher Šumava terrain: damp meadows, peat bogs, and waterlogged spruce forests. This mix of forest, bog, and stream is exactly what gives the area its ecological value, providing a refuge for species tied to wetland and peatland environments that are increasingly rare elsewhere in the region.

Since when has the area been protected?

The Prameniště reserve was established by a decree of the Administration of the Šumava National Park and Protected Landscape Area, decree no. 3/94, which took effect on 27 December 1994. The same body — Správa NP a CHKO Šumava — has managed the reserve ever since.

Why was this specific area chosen for protection?

The stated purpose of the reserve is to preserve the entire system of springs and peat bogs around the Křemelná stream, together with everything that depends on it: the plant and animal communities that live there. Just as important is maintaining and restoring the ecosystem's own self-regulating functions — its natural ability to store and release water, filter it, and keep moisture levels stable without human intervention. The peat bogs and waterlogged spruce stands act as a natural sponge here, regulating how water moves off the mountain slopes and down into the valleys below.

Where exactly is it located?

The reserve lies along the Pancíř ridge, one of the mountain chains of the Šumava, between the village of Čachrov and the town of Železná Ruda, in the Klatovy district of the Plzeň Region. Its proximity to two distinctive peaks — Můstek at 1,235 m and Pancíř at 1,214 m — gives the area a genuinely mountainous character, typical of the higher, less accessible parts of the Šumava massif.

Frequently asked questions

Is Prameniště a single continuous area? No — the reserve is made up of four separate, unconnected sections: Šmauzy, Nový Brunst, Prameniště Řezné, and Zadní Pancíř, scattered along the Pancíř ridge.

Which rivers have their sources here? The reserve contains the source areas of three watercourses: the Křemelná River, its tributary the Slatinný stream, and the Řezná River.

Who manages the reserve? It is managed by Správa NP a CHKO Šumava, the Administration of the Šumava National Park and Protected Landscape Area, under a decree in effect since 27 December 1994.

What habitats dominate the reserve? Wet meadows, peat bogs, and waterlogged spruce forests dominate, all directly tied to the spring systems of the local mountain streams.