The Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area is a protected landscape area on the western edge of central Bohemia. It covers almost the entire geomorphological unit of the Křivoklátská vrchovina and the northern tip of the Plaská pahorkatina, and lies within the former districts of Rakovník, Beroun, Kladno, Plzeň-sever and Rokycany.[1] It was declared on 23 January 1979.[1]
Protection of the area
In 1977, UNESCO recognized the area for its high natural value as a biosphere reserve under the Man and the Biosphere Programme, and the protected landscape area itself was established a year later.[1] The territory contains 27 small-scale protected areas: 4 national nature reserves, 16 nature reserves and 4 natural monuments. It includes 16 Sites of Community Importance and one bird area within the Natura 2000 network. There are 56 declared groups of protected trees, comprising 610 trees in total.[1]
Nature and landscape
Elevations range from 212 to 617 metres. The highest point is Těchovín at 616 metres, while the lowest point is the surface of the Berounka where it leaves the area.[1] Forests cover 62 percent of the area, well above the national average for hilly and highland regions, and consist mainly of deciduous and mixed stands.[1]
According to the administration of the protected landscape area, two basic phenomena shape its nature. The riverine phenomenon is seen in the canyon-like valley of the Berounka and in the side valleys of its tributaries, with preserved meanders and floodplains. The summit phenomenon is seen in the open, treeless southwestern tops of some hills, where dry grasslands and shrub fringes called "pleše" grow.[1] Rock outcrops support warmth-loving flora and fauna, and the river has left behind stepped terraces here.[1] The middle course of the Berounka forms the area known as the Royal Forest (Královský hvozd). More than 1,800 taxa of vascular plants have been recorded here.[1]
The administration of the protected landscape area also describes it as a place of rare common yew trees on rocky slopes and as an area rich in fossils in the ground. According to the administration, the region became close to the writer Ota Pavel.[2]
Information for visitors
According to the administration's website, the Information Centre of the Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area in the village of Křivoklát provides information on natural attractions, tourist sites and events in the Křivoklátsko region and its surroundings.[2]