Údolí Plakánek, Nature reserve in Dobšín, Czech Republic

Údolí Plakánek is a nature reserve near Dobšín in the Czech Republic, centered on a sandstone valley carved by the Klenice River and bordered by dense forest. A marked trail with information panels runs through the reserve, connecting Kost Castle at one end to the village of Střehom at the other.

The valley's name comes from the Plakánek family, who burned charcoal here in the 17th century and had "teary" eyes from the smoke. Above the valley, at Poráň, a prehistoric hillfort stood from the 7th–5th century BC until the 13th century, with a burial mound field near the Roubenka spring. Old quarries in the side Vesecký Plakánek yielded quality sandstone for building.

The name Plakánek comes from the Plakánek family, who burned charcoal in this area in the 17th century and were said to have "teary" eyes from the smoke. Visitors can also look for the bare form of red campion, found nowhere else in the Czech Republic and first described in 1853 by the Mnichovo Hradiště pharmacist W. J. Sekyra.

The reserve can be entered from several points, including near Kost Castle and from the village of Střehom, so you can choose where to start based on what you want to see. Spring and summer offer the easiest walking conditions, when the paths are dry and the forest canopy is full.

The side valley called Vesecký Plakánek, cut by the Vesecký stream, keeps several old quarries where good sandstone was extracted. The main valley, Střehomský Plakánek, was carved by the Klenice River, fed by springs emerging from the rocks and slopes.