More and more visitors are breaking the rules in Czech Republic’s national parks – with consequences. The authorities have already imposed dozens of fines this year, for example for flying drones, lighting campfires or hiking off the permitted trails. Curiously, visitors often provide the evidence themselves – via social media.
Whether through drone flights, campfires, leaving marked trails or negligence – Czech national parks have already imposed dozens of fines this year for undisciplined behaviour. This was reported by spokespersons for all four national parks – Krkonoše, Šumava, České Švýcarsko and Podyjí – to the news channel ČT24. Curiously, in many cases visitors themselves provide the evidence – through photos or videos posted on social networks.
“Sometimes we only discover a violation because it is posted on social media – for example, entering quiet zones or flying drones, which is prohibited throughout the national park,” Zdeněk Mačát from the Podyjí National Park Administration told the news channel.
In Šumava, the Bohemian Forest, the authorities have also been monitoring such posts since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. According to park spokesman Jan Dvořák, ten fines have already been imposed this year – mostly for hiking or cycling off the permitted paths.
In the Krkonoše Mountains, the authorities have mainly recorded violations due to carelessness – especially when entering the park. “June is traditionally a busy month for visitors,” explains Jakub Kašpar, deputy director of the national park and coordinator of the National Park Association. For a relaxed visit, he recommends avoiding heavily frequented places such as the summit of Sněžka, the source of the Elbe and the Pančavský waterfall: “The Krkonoše Mountains offer impressive nature even away from these hotspots.”
In Bohemian Switzerland (České Švýcarsko), most fines were imposed for illegal parking. Dozens of motorists ignored the applicable rules. In some cases, according to park spokesman Tomáš Salov, fines were also imposed for entering restricted areas.
In view of the increasing drought, the national parks are now focusing more on prevention. About three-quarters of all forest fires are caused by humans. The most important measure is compliance with the rules – in particular the ban on open fires.
