Holý vrch is a modest sandstone hill near the village of Střemy, cloaked in pine forest and treasured by botanists for one very special reason - it hosts one of the last surviving populations of the critically endangered garland flower (Daphne cneorum) in the Czech Republic. It's not a place built for crowds, but for those who appreciate quiet nature and rare flora, it's worth the detour.

The protected area forms a flat hilltop bounded by two ravines, Jírův důl and Beránkova rokle, which converge to the south beneath rising sandstone rock walls. The forest is dominated by Scots pine mixed with spruce, birch, hornbeam, oak, beech and hazel. Heather covers the rocky outcrops, while the open, grassy northern slope shelters rare steppe plants like the Bohemian meadow pasqueflower and feather grasses. In spring the forest floor and open patches come alive with delicate blooms, summer brings warm, dry grassland scents, and autumn paints the pines and scattered deciduous trees in golden tones. From the rocky summits to the south, there are pleasant views over the surrounding countryside.

How to get there

• Starting point: the road connecting Lhotka and Střemy - no marked trail, easy walk of roughly 15-20 minutes
• Alternative approach: from Lhotka, the nearest settlement to the reserve

Practical information

• No official tourist trail leads through the area, which is privately owned along with the surrounding forest
• Protected since 1957 for its population of garland flower
• The population numbers around 50 reproducing plants and is carefully monitored and maintained free of encroaching scrub
• About 250 m from the southeastern edge stand two protected black pines growing remarkably close together

A curious detail: the only protected animal recorded here is a tiny gall midge, Dasineura daphnes, whose life cycle depends entirely on the garland flower - making the insect and the plant inseparable partners in this small reserve.