Vlčí kámen (Žďárské vrchy)

Vlčí kámen ("Wolf's Stone") is a small nature reserve (přírodní památka) in the Žďárské vrchy hills, set on the western slope of Sólo hill (770 m above sea level) near the village of Lísek in the Žďár nad Sázavou district of the Czech Republic. The protected area sits at an elevation of roughly 750 to 766 metres and encloses a small, fenced remnant of old-growth spruce-beech forest — the type of woodland that once dominated the poor, acidic soils found across the higher elevations of the Žďárské vrchy.

What exactly does the reserve protect?

The core value of Vlčí kámen is a surviving fragment of old beech and mixed spruce-beech forest that has kept its natural character despite centuries of forestry pressure across the region. Remnants of this kind are increasingly rare on the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, where large-scale forestry historically favoured spruce monocultures over mixed natural stands. The site is managed by the Nature and Landscape Protection Agency of the Czech Republic (AOPK ČR), through its regional office responsible for the Žďárské vrchy Protected Landscape Area.

Where does the name come from?

The reserve's name recalls one of the more dramatic chapters of local natural history. Right beside it, next to the yellow-marked hiking trail, stands a memorial to the last wolf shot in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, an event dated to 2 January 1830. Wolves, once common throughout the region's forests, were effectively hunted to extinction here by the early nineteenth century, and the memorial at Vlčí kámen remains one of the few tangible traces of that history.

What does a visit look like?

Hikers following the yellow trail can turn off near the wolf memorial and continue on a path leading uphill. This path brings visitors to the fenced enclosure protecting the old-growth forest fragment. The walk itself is short and undemanding — a quiet stretch through the wooded hills of the Žďárské vrchy that combines a natural highlight (the old forest stand) with a historical one (the wolf memorial).

Where is it located?

The reserve lies close to coordinates 49.5948 N, 16.1676 E, on the western slope of Sólo hill, within the cadastral area of Lísek. The Žďárské vrchy range, part of the wider Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, is known for its scattered rock formations, extensive forests, and traditional rural settlements scattered among the hills.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors enter the protected forest area? The core forest fragment is fenced off as a strictly protected zone. Visitors can walk around it along the marked path but cannot enter the enclosed area itself.

What else is worth seeing nearby? Beyond the reserve and the wolf memorial, the surrounding Žďárské vrchy hills offer numerous viewpoints, rock formations, and trails connecting the area's villages — worth combining into a longer day hike.

How do you get to Vlčí kámen? The nearest reference point is the village of Lísek in the Žďár nad Sázavou district, from which the yellow-marked trail leads toward Sólo hill and the wolf memorial.

What is the elevation of the reserve? The protected area lies at an altitude of approximately 750 to 766 metres above sea level.