Klokočínské louky, Natural monument near Protivín, Czech Republic.
Klokočínské louky is a 34.49-hectare natural monument in the Českobudějovická basin at 374–378 m, straddling the cadastral areas of Protivín and Skály u Protivína. Molinia meadows on pseudogley and gleysol soils cover about 60% of the site, drained by an old network of ditches leading to the Blanice river. Tufted hairgrass, sweet vernal grass and velvet bent dominate the sward.
The area was officially recognized as a natural monument in 2021 to protect its ecological value for future generations. This decision was part of regional efforts to safeguard noteworthy natural sites.
The name Klokočínské louky refers to the meadows by the former Klokočín pond, now drained; the site lies in the Protivín and Skály cadastres. The meadows have long been farmed, and drainage channels from the 1950s still cross them, though most are silted. Before protection, part of the land was used for horse grazing.
The meadows lie at 374–378 m in the Českobudějovice Basin, in the cadastral areas of Protivín and Skály u Protivína. A drainage canal runs through the whole site, its western half bordered by stands of Lysimachia thyrsiflora and Hottonia palustris. Most of the old drainage channels are silted up and work only partly, so wet ground is common; the terrain is flat and reached on foot.
The site overlaps with a European Important Site of 29.7 hectares designated in 2009, while the nature monument itself was declared in 2021. A 2019 inventory recorded 245 butterfly species in the meadows, including a small population of the moth Orthonama vittata.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,497 contributors worldwide.