Veský mlýn

Veský mlýn is a nature monument in the Bohemian Forest (Český les), located roughly 10 km west of the town of Bělá nad Radbuzou, right along the German border, in the Domažlice district of the Plzeň Region. It falls within the Český les Protected Landscape Area and sits at an elevation of 700–720 metres above sea level, on cordierite-rich metamorphic bedrock in the Čerchovský les sub-range.

How large is the protected area, and when was it established?

The nature monument covers 32.12 hectares and was declared protected on 1 July 2002 by decision of the Domažlice District Office. It is now managed by the Nature and Landscape Protection Agency of the Czech Republic (AOPK ČR). Its purpose is to protect communities of transitional peatlands and short-grass meadows that host rare and specially protected plant species.

Where does the name come from?

The name refers to a defunct water mill, the Veský mlýn, which once stood near the current boundary of the protected area. Before the Second World War the surrounding region had a predominantly German-speaking population. Following the postwar expulsion of Germans, the territory became largely inaccessible from 1948 onward, and from the 1950s through the 1990s it lay within a heavily guarded Iron Curtain border zone — a circumstance that, ironically, kept the area free of development and helped preserve its natural state.

What waterways run through the site?

The Plešský potok stream (known in German as the Weißbach) flows through the protected territory and belongs to the Danube watershed. Former water reservoirs that once served the mill are still visible on the site, and the region receives 800–900 mm of rainfall annually.

What plants and animals live here?

Notable flora includes the critically endangered moonwort fern, endangered bilberry, three-leaved bogbean, the lesser butterfly-orchid, creeping willow, and arnica. Protected fauna includes an abundant population of the common viper (adder), along with snipe, brown long-eared bat, whinchat, and raven.

Can visitors explore the reserve?

Public access to the nature monument's territory is limited. The site can only be approached from the German side, via the Pleš/Fridrichshäng border crossing, from which walking trails run along the reserve's southern edge. Anyone planning to visit should keep in mind that this is primarily a nature conservation area rather than a tourist viewpoint — its value lies in its rare habitats, not in visitor infrastructure.

Frequently asked questions

Is Veský mlýn still a working mill? No — the mill that gave the reserve its name no longer exists. Only traces of its former water reservoirs remain.

Why was the area inaccessible for so long? It lay within the heavily guarded Iron Curtain border zone from the 1950s to the 1990s, which limited human disturbance and helped preserve its unique peatlands.

How do you get to the reserve? The easiest approach is from the German side, via the Pleš/Fridrichshäng border crossing, followed by walking trails along the reserve's southern boundary.

What exactly is being protected here? Transitional peatlands and short-grass meadows, along with rare plant species such as moonwort fern and three-leaved bogbean, and animal species including the common viper and brown long-eared bat.