Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area ( cs, Chráněná krajinná oblast Křivoklátsko, usually abbreviated as Křivoklátsko PLA) is a protected landscape area in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. It lies in the western part of the

Central Bohemian Region The Central Bohemian Region ( cz, Středočeský kraj, german: Mittelböhmische Region) is an administrative unit ( cz, kraj) of the Czech Republic, located in the central part of its historical region of Bohemia. Its administrative centre is in ...

and a small part of the north-eastern

Plzeň Region Plzeň Region ( cs, Plzeňský kraj; german: Pilsner Region) is an administrative unit (''kraj'') in the western part of Bohemia in the Czech Republic. It is named after its capital Plzeň (English, german: Pilsen). In terms of area, Plzeň R ...

. Most of the area belongs to the highlands of the Křivoklát Highlands and lies on both banks of the

Berounka The Berounka is a river in the Czech Republic, long, the biggest left tributary of Vltava, draining an area of . It carries the name Mže () for from its source in Germany, next to the Czech border, until its confluence with the Radbuza in Plze ...

river. Křivoklátsko PLA was declared in 1978 to protect a unique area with a mosaic of species rich habitats, mainly large stretches of broadleaf Central European temperate forests. Due to this fact the area was included among the UNESCO

Biosphere reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

s a year prior to being declared a protected landscape area, in 1977. There are many other habitats, such as dry ''rock steppes'' covering the tops of some hills. The area is also notable for its diverse geology, mainly Proterozoic volcanic rocks and Cambrian fossil-rich slates around the village of Skryje, which were made famous by

Joachim Barrande Joachim Barrande (11 August 1799 – 5 October 1883) was a French geologist and palaeontologist. Career Barrande was born at Saugues, Haute Loire, and educated in the École Polytechnique and École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées at Paris. A ...

. Křivoklátsko PLA covers an area of . The fact that such well-preserved landscape lies very close to the Czech capital Prague is due to Křivoklátsko having been the hunting area of Czech kings and princes since the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. The protected landscape area is named after the Křivoklát castle in the northern part of Křivoklátsko.

Resources

* * Protected landscape areas in the Czech Republic Biosphere reserves of the Czech Republic Volcanoes of the Czech Republic Proterozoic volcanism Geography of the Central Bohemian Region Tourist attractions in the Central Bohemian Region {{Europe-protected-area-stub