The Jizera Mountains Beech Forests are among the last truly wild woodlands in the Czech Republic - a vast, largely untouched forest landscape that in 2021 became the first Czech natural site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Steep slopes, deep valleys and rocky ridges make this reserve a dream destination for hikers and climbers alike.

The terrain is dramatically varied, ranging from 360 m near the Dubina forester's lodge to 1006 m at Polední kameny. Deeply cut valleys, granite rock towers and outcrops alternate with beech, fir and spruce stands. In summer the old-growth canopy offers cool shade, autumn brings vivid colors, and winter snow accentuates the rugged rock formations. The reserve is also home to the tallest waterfall in the Jizera Mountains, the roughly 30-metre Velký Štolpich.

How to get there

• Oldřichov v Hájích - Oldřichovské háje a skály nature trail, duration depends on chosen route, moderate difficulty
• Malý Štolpich area - five stops of the Lesy Jizerských hor educational trail, easy to moderate

Practical information

• The area lies within the 1st zone of the Jizera Mountains Protected Landscape Area
• Core zones are under strict no-intervention management - stick to marked trails
• Look out for the so-called Jizera Mountains memorials, small monuments to loggers and tragic events in the forest

Wandering hunters of these hidden memorials, like the one commemorating Gustav Maiwald, still come here today to trace the harsh history of the region's woodcutters.