Obora Hvězda (''Star Game Reserve'') is a forest park (formerly a royal game reserve) in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, which is now protected as a natural monument. It is located about west of the city centre, surrounded by the neighbourhoods of

Liboc Liboc is a district of the city of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. It is part of Prague 6, located near Divoká Šárka. The Prague British International School Vlastina Campus is in Liboc; it formerly belonged to the pre-merger Prague ...

(N), Břevnov (E),

Bílá Hora ), near Prague, Bohemian Confederation(present-day Czech Republic) , coordinates = , territory = , result = Imperial-Spanish victory , status = , combatants_header = , combatant1 = Catholic L ...

(SW) and

Ruzyně Ruzyně is a district of Prague city, part of Prague 6. It has been a part of Prague since 1960. Václav Havel Airport is located in this district. Czech Airlines has its head office on the grounds of the airport. Travel Service Airlines and its ...

(W). The first mention of the forest, originally called ''Malejov'', dates from 993, when duke Boleslaus II donated it to the newly established Břevnov Monastery. It was transformed into a walled game reserve during rule of

Ferdinand I Ferdinand I or Fernando I may refer to: People * Ferdinand I of León, ''the Great'' (ca. 1000–1065, king from 1037) * Ferdinand I of Portugal and the Algarve, ''the Handsome'' (1345–1383, king from 1367) * Ferdinand I of Aragon and Sicily, '' ...

in the mid-16th century. The current name ('' hvězda'' being Czech for "star") derives from the

Star Summer Palace A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth make ...

, a 16th-century building, which stands in middle of the forest. The Battle of White Mountain took place on fields in the W/SW vicinity of the game reserve in 1620. Nowadays part of the site is designated as a

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively ...

protected site due to the presence of the narrow-mouthed whorl snail (''Vertigo angustior''). The site is home to several bird species including the Middle Spotted Woodpecker.

External links

Obora Hvězda (The Hvězda Game Preserve) Natural Monument

Prague's Green Spaces: Quick guide to visiting Obora Hvězda

Czech Society for Ornithology: Birding in Prague
Special Areas of Conservation Natural monuments in the Czech Republic Forests of the Czech Republic Parks in Prague {{prague-geo-stub