The National Nature Reserve Voděradské bučiny – Voděrady beechwood – is located in the Prague-East district between Struhařov, Louňovice, Vyžlovský and Jevanský ponds and Černé Voděrady, on whose territory the majority of the reserve is located. With adjacent forests that extend to Svojetice, Struhařov, Klokočná and Zvánovice they form an extensive forest complex. The Nature Trail Voděrady Beechwoods leads through the beech forests, but the whole area is intersected by other hiking trails and a large number of unmarked forest paths and paths that can be walked and wandered for many kilometers. On the nature trail there is the Kamenka quarry, where one of the cornerstones of the National Theater comes from.
The reserve was declared on 5 April 1955, its area is 684 ha, the altitude is from 350 to 501 meters above sea level.
You can walk and wander for hours on the nature reserve and adjacent forests. Among other things, you can walk to the natural attractions of the Grinding Stones or natural monument Šáchovec and far distant church of St. George, which is a remnant of the extinct village of Aldašín. Originally wooden cemetery church was rebuilt in 1352 to stone building in Gothic style. After the village was burnt down, church was in 1729 rebuilt in Baroque style.
The Grinding stones are located near the village of Černé Voděrady in the Haberské valley near (some of them directly in the stream bed) of the Zvánovice stream. They are granite circles about 50 cm thick and with a diameter of 90 to 120. Opinions on their origin and purpose vary. Someone it considered as a part of the old Slavic cult place (sacrificial stones), others considered as millstones. In any case, nothing is certain, just that it is the only site of its kind in the Czech Republic.
Šáchovec Natural Monument is a water reservoir in the valley of the Jevanský stream. It was declared a natural monument because of the occurrence of many amphibious and invertebrate species of animals, for example: fire-bellied toad, green tree frog, river clam, river crayfish and others.
PHOTO GALLERY: Voděrady beechwood
