Paterovské stráně is a small but botanically remarkable nature reserve on the eastern edge of Bělá pod Bezdězem, tucked into the valley of the Bělá stream around the ruins of the former Páterov manor. It's a place where relict pine forests and dry grasslands survive on limestone sandstone, home to an astonishing range of rare plants, including pasqueflowers.

The landscape is shaped by steep valley slopes with contrasting exposures - warm, sun-baked hillsides covered in forest-steppe pine woods sit alongside cooler, damper ravines where pockets of waterlogged spruce forest still survive. In spring the protected pasqueflowers and wood anemones bloom, in summer the grasslands buzz with butterflies, and in autumn and winter the rocky slopes take on a stark, quiet beauty. It's a spot for nature lovers who enjoy a peaceful walk away from the crowds.

How to get there

• Bělá pod Bezdězem, Páterovská street - on foot along the Bělá valley, easy to moderate terrain
• Alternatively from Pražská or Papírenská street - access to the southern and eastern parts of the reserve

Practical information

• The reserve is made up of three separate sections spread across both sides of the valley
• Protected species found here include the eastern pasqueflower and the true spring pasqueflower, among the last known sites in the Czech Republic
• Stick to marked paths to avoid damaging the fragile dry grasslands

This is one of the last places in the Czech Republic where you can still find the eastern pasqueflower and the true spring pasqueflower growing wild - reason enough to keep an eye on the ground as you walk.