V Dubech

V Dubech is a small nature monument on the northern edge of the Žehrov forest reserve (Žehrovská obora), about 550 metres west of the village of Žehrov in the Mladá Boleslav district of the Czech Republic. The site sits at the foot of the rocky massifs of the Příhrazské rocks and forms part of the Český ráj (Bohemian Paradise) Protected Landscape Area. It received legal protection on 1 January 1998 and is classified under IUCN Category IV as a habitat and species management area.

What does the nature monument protect?

The protected object is a treeless stretch of sloping terrain that has developed into wetland meadow, spring-fed wet ground on the slope, and swamp alder forest hosting specially protected plant species. The defining feature of the site is how saturated it is with water, a result of seepage emerging at the base of the sandstone rocks that shape this part of Bohemian Paradise into its characteristic cliff scenery. This steady groundwater supply has allowed wetland habitats to take hold in an area otherwise dominated by dry rock formations, making V Dubech an unusual pocket of moisture-loving vegetation right beside the cliffs.

Old oaks without young successors

Within the reserve grows a small group of oak trees roughly 150 years old. Notably, the understorey shows no natural regeneration of the species — young oaks are not sprouting up on their own beneath the canopy of the older trees. This pattern is common in aging oak stands and is generally linked to competition from other species and the light conditions beneath a closed canopy.

A memorial pedunculate oak

The most striking natural feature at V Dubech is a single, substantial pedunculate oak (Quercus robur). Measured at a height of 130 centimetres, its trunk has a circumference of 532 centimetres, and the tree has kept a relatively regular, symmetrical crown. Owing to its size and age, it was declared a memorial tree in 2000 — two years after the nature monument itself was established — a recognition that singles out this particular specimen as exceptional even within a site already set aside for its natural value.

Can you visit V Dubech?

The V Dubech nature monument is not open to the public. The site lies within the Žehrov forest and remains closed to visitor access. This is typical for small nature monuments protecting sensitive wetland habitats and old-growth trees, where even limited foot traffic could disturb the delicate water balance or damage the root systems of the veteran oaks. Nature lovers can instead explore the surrounding, publicly accessible attractions of Bohemian Paradise, including the well-known Příhrazské rocks that form the dramatic backdrop to this inaccessible enclave.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is V Dubech located? The reserve lies about 550 metres west of the village of Žehrov, in the Mladá Boleslav district, within the Žehrov forest at the foot of the Příhrazské rocks.

Since when has the area been protected? It was granted nature monument status on 1 January 1998.

What is the main natural value of the site? Wetland meadows and swamp alder forest fed by water seeping from the base of sandstone rocks, along with a single memorial pedunculate oak with a trunk circumference of 532 cm, designated in 2000.

Can visitors enter the reserve? No — the area is closed to public access because of the sensitivity of its protected habitats.