A global reference section
Among the world's most studied for these geological periods.
A large nature park in south-western Prague covering valleys, woods and limestone slopes on the left bank of the Vltava. Its scientific value exceeds its touristic value. The rocks here are Devonian and Silurian — about four hundred million years old — and are among the world's most important reference sections for those periods. Geologists come to them from everywhere, and the surrounding Barrandian area is named after the French geologist Joachim Barrande, who studied it in the nineteenth century. The old quarries in the park expose complete rock sequences holding marine fossils — all of this was once the floor of a shallow tropical sea. Alongside that are walking and cycling routes, the Šance reserve with its rare grassland slopes, and views over the river. Open and free, and needing at least half a day.
Among the world's most studied for these geological periods.
The marine fossils in the quarries testify to it.
A French geologist who studied the area, which carries his name.
South-western Prague on the Vltava bank
A geological area in central Bohemia extending south-west of Prague, holding an almost complete marine rock sequence from the Ordovician to the Devonian. Its importance is that the strata are continuous, richly fossiliferous and easily accessible, so it became a global reference for defining the boundaries of certain geological periods. Joachim Barrande studied it over forty years and published twenty-two volumes on it, describing more than three thousand fossil species.
No. The area is protected and collecting is legally forbidden in nature reserves, with fines for breaches. You may look and photograph only. If you are interested in fossils, the displays in Prague's National Museum are excellent and include Barrande's own collection, far better than anything you would find by searching. Some quarries outside the reserves permit organised visits — ask locally.
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