Prameniště Hamerského potoka u Zvonkové

Prameniště Hamerského potoka u Zvonkové is a protected nature monument in the Český Krumlov district, situated within the Šumava Protected Landscape Area, in the floodplain of the Hamerský stream, roughly one kilometer southwest of the hamlet of Přední Zvonková, near the village of Zvonková in the Horní Planá municipality.

What exactly is protected here?

The site protects an extensive spring area with numerous peat-forming seepage springs and rare meadow peat bogs, developed on a bedrock of migmatized biotite paragneiss. It forms a mosaic of slope and floodplain springs, islands of meadow and spring peatlands, and mesophilous as well as waterlogged meadows, home to endangered plant and animal species adapted to consistently damp ground.

How did this landscape mosaic come to be?

The land was traditionally managed as single-cut meadows, mown once a year without mineral fertilization, a regime that historically preserved a rich diversity of meadow plant species. After this traditional use declined, parts of the area began reverting to woody vegetation. Today, tree and shrub encroachment is deliberately kept in check through regular mowing and the removal of tree saplings, preserving the open character of the meadows and peatlands that many of the site's specialist species depend on.

Why are the springs themselves so significant?

The slope and valley-floor springs feeding the Hamerský stream create distinctive moisture and chemical conditions in the substrate that favor peatland plants, which have become scarce elsewhere in the Šumava region. The underlying migmatized biotite paragneiss shapes the chemistry of the groundwater that feeds these habitats, adding further variation between patches of vegetation — from true peat bogs to mesophilous meadows with intermediate moisture levels.

How can visitors reach the site?

The reserve lies in a quiet, sparsely populated corner of the Šumava region, near the border village of Zvonková, known for the history of its Sudeten German population displaced after World War II and for its rebuilt Marian chapel. It makes a good starting point for walks through the surrounding meadows and forests of the Šumava Protected Landscape Area — visitors should stick to marked paths and avoid stepping onto the sensitive peat bog surfaces, which are easily damaged.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

The area around Zvonková offers the gentle hills, open meadows, and border forests typical of southern Šumava. Other protected sections of the Hamerský stream valley lie nearby, and the village itself serves as a starting point for further routes toward the Austrian border.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Prameniště Hamerského potoka u Zvonkové nature monument? It is a protected spring area with peat bogs and meadows in the Hamerský stream valley in the Šumava region, within the Český Krumlov district.

Why was this site given protected status? Because of its extensive springs with seepage peatlands and mesophilous meadows, which host endangered plant and animal species and formed on a distinctive geological substrate.

Can visitors walk freely through the area? The site is a protected nature monument, so visitors should move carefully, respect the sensitive peatland habitats, and stay on marked paths rather than crossing the bog surfaces.

Where exactly is it located? About one kilometer southwest of the hamlet of Přední Zvonková, in the Horní Planá municipality, within the Šumava Protected Landscape Area.