Šumava National Park is the Czech Republic’s largest protected area — an immense expanse of ancient forest, peat bogs, and glacial lakes along the Bavarian border that forms the green heart of Central Europe and one of the continent’s most important wilderness landscapes. Known in German as the Böhmerwald (Bohemian Forest), Šumava is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve covering 680 km² of unbroken woodland that has been described as “the lungs of Europe” — a place where lynx, elk, and capercaillie still roam, and where the silence of the primeval forest is broken only by birdsong and the wind through the spruce.
Quick Facts: Šumava National Park
- Best time to visit: June–September for hiking; autumn for the golden forests; winter for cross-country skiing on groomed trails
- Top attractions: The glacial lakes (Černé jezero and Čertovo jezero — the largest in the Czech Republic), the Boubín Primeval Forest (untouched for over 10,000 years), and the source of the Vltava River
- How to get there: ~2 hours from Prague by car; the main access points are Železná Ruda, Modrava, and Kvilda
Šumava National Park is one of the most beautiful part of the Czech Republic and is a great holiday destination especially for families thanks to the lots of activities one can do there. It is a wonderful place to hike, bike, go horseback riding and water sports. In the winter there are great facilities for downhill and cross country skiing in the Šumava region.
Šumava National Park is situated at the southwest border of the Czech Republic with Germany and Austria and is located in three different regions – Český Krumlov, Prachatice, and Klatovy.
There are many river springs. The major rivers in the area are the Vltava, Vydra and Křemelná, which create the river Otava at their confluence, then Volyňka, and Blanice. There are eight glacial lakes at about 1000 – 1100 m above sea level. On the Czech side of the Šumava they have an area of 42 ha, their names are Laka, Prášilské, Plešné, Černé, and Čertovo.
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Have you hiked Šumava or discovered the Bohemian Forest? Share your Czech wilderness experiences in the comments! 🌲
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