Farská louka is a small but remarkable meadow right in the heart of the village of Slunečná, next to the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is famous for a single treasure - the spring crocus, which turns the meadow into a sea of white blossoms every spring. It is one of the very few sites of this species in the Czech Republic, protected since the days of Austria-Hungary.

The meadow sits on a gentle slope at an elevation of 373 to 387 metres, covering just 0.73 hectares, part of it fenced to protect the delicate bulbs from digging. Besides the crocuses, spring also brings the endangered spring snowflake and the oxlip into bloom. The sight of the flowering meadow against the backdrop of the village church feels like a postcard, and the surrounding České Středohoří landscape gives the place a quiet charm in every season.

How to get there

• A blue-marked hiking trail leads from Práchno and Kamenický Šenov to Slunečná - easy route, continuing on to Česká Lípa
• Cycling route no. 3062 from Skalice u České Lípy - the nearest railway station (on the line from Česká Lípa to Nový Bor) is in Skalice, about 4 km away

Practical information

• Part of the area is fenced off - digging up or picking plants is strictly forbidden
• The number of flowering crocuses varies considerably from year to year
• The site is managed by the České Středohoří Protected Landscape Area
• Early spring is the best time to visit, when the crocuses are in full bloom

Fun fact: how the crocus actually got to this meadow remains a mystery - already in the 1930s local botanists debated whether it was a relic from the Ice Age or seeds sown by chance.