About this place
Vrškámen is a massive rock boulder located in the municipality of Petrovice in the Sedlčany area of Central Bohemia, roughly a kilometre from the village centre in the direction of Kojetín. It is regarded as the largest so-called balancing rock (viklan in Czech) in the entire country, and its sheer bulk makes an impression on anyone who sees it up close for the first time.
What rock is Vrškámen made of?
The boulder consists of porphyritic syenite to syenodiorite, igneous rocks that form part of the Central Bohemian Pluton — a huge body of magma that solidified deep underground in ancient geological times. The stone measures roughly 350 by 550 centimetres and stands about 320 centimetres tall. A single block of rock this size, standing clearly apart from the surrounding terrain, is unusual even in areas known for striking rock formations.
How did this rock form?
Vrškámen was not placed here by people — it is the result of long-term erosion of the surrounding bedrock. Over thousands of years, the igneous rock of the Central Bohemian Pluton weathered selectively: softer, more fractured sections broke down and disappeared, while a harder, more resistant block remained exposed on the surface as a standalone boulder. This process is what gave the rock its distinctive, almost island-like silhouette that visitors can see today.
Why is Vrškámen protected?
Because of its geological uniqueness, the boulder and its immediate surroundings were declared a natural monument (přírodní památka) in 1977. The protected status is meant to safeguard both the stone itself and the area around it from damaging human activity, so that this unusual rock formation can be preserved unchanged for future generations.
What legend is associated with Vrškámen?
A local legend claims that the devil himself threw the boulder to this spot. Stories about "devil's stones" are fairly common explanations for large, unusual rock formations across the Czech landscape — the rock's puzzling size and position once led locals to look for a supernatural origin.
Where exactly is Vrškámen located?
Vrškámen lies in the Sedlčany region, right next to the village of Petrovice, in the direction of the settlement of Kojetín. The wider area is known for several similar rock formations, which is why it is sometimes nicknamed the "land of stones" — Vrškámen remains one of its most recognisable landmarks.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vrškámen really the largest balancing rock in the Czech Republic? Yes, available sources describe it as the largest naturally exposed boulder of this type in the country.
When was Vrškámen placed under protection? In 1977, when the boulder and its immediate surroundings were declared a natural monument.
What kind of rock is the boulder made of? Porphyritic syenite to syenodiorite, part of the Central Bohemian Pluton.
How did this rock formation come about? Through years of selective erosion of the bedrock, which exposed a harder, more resistant block of stone.
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