Ground-breaking ceremony: ‘Bears under the treetops’ is on its way

The construction of the largest extension project since the opening of the Treetop Walk Krkonoše has begun. The bear reserve will not only be a tourist attraction. It will also actively contribute to preserving the ecosystem of the Krkonoše Mountains and protecting endangered wild animals.

Janské Lázně, 17 th of April 2025 – On Monday, 14 th of April 2025, the construction of the brown bear reserve at the Treetop Walk Krkonoše in Janské Lázně was inaugurated. It will be an independent facility of the Dvůr Králové Safari Park in close cooperation with the Krkonoše National Park (KRNAP). The project aims to work within the framework of the European Conservation Breeding Programme (EAZA Ex-situ Programme, EEP), which, among other things, ensures the preservation of the gene pool of living animals. The ecological part of the project will deal with the role of carnivores in nature and also with the problems arising from their coexistence with humans.

Reserve is located directly below the Treetop Walk Krkonoše

Over the next six months, a 5,400 square metre enclosure will be built under the southern part of the treetop walk. It will not only include an area where visitors can see the bears, but also a retreat and rest area for the animals.

Filip Pekárek, Managing Director of Zážitková Akademie s.r.o. (ZAK), which operates the Treetop Walk Krkonoše, explains: ‘We started preparing this project in 2022 and are grateful for the helpful and constructive negotiations with the Safari Park in Dvůr Králové, with whom we have been in close dialogue from the very beginning, and with the KRNAP administration, on whose land the enclosure will be built. The agreement and cooperation of all of us is the reason why visitors will be able to see brown bears in their natural environment in the forest around our treetop walk a year from now.’

Miroslav Matas, Site Manager of the Treetop Walk Krkonoše, adds: ‘For us, this is the biggest project since the opening of the trail. Each year we try to improve our visitors experience a little more. Last year we installed a glass viewing platform and this year we are starting to build the reserve. However, the trail is not only a place where people can enjoy the nature of the Krkonoše Mountains. We also try to teach them about life in the forest. About how the forest grows, how to behave in the forest and towards the forest so that it is preserved for future generations. With the bears, we open another dimension for our visitors by explaining the role of these huge predators in the ecosystem and not forgetting the problems of their coexistence with humans.’

Experts: Bear reserve is a project that benefits both humans and animals

The ‘Medvědi pod korunami stromů’ (‘Bears under the trees’) project is being implemented as an independent centre of the Dvůr Králové Safari Park in cooperation with the KRNAP administration and the Treetop Walk Krkonoše. The aim of the project is to promote the protection and conservation of the brown bear gene pool. It reflects the joint efforts of all stakeholders to protect nature and educate the public about the importance of protecting wild animals and their natural habitats.

Přemysl Rabas, Director of the Dvůr Králové Safari Park, says: ‘We are pleased that representatives of the treetop walk have approached us. This gives us the opportunity to help build a completely new enclosure and thus a facility for the bears that meets the latest requirements, which is problematic in many places nowadays. It will be built here in the natural environment of the Krkonoše Mountains.’

‘I see three main positive aspects,’ continues Přemysl Rabas. ‘Firstly, at a time when the number of animals in the wild is increasing, people will learn more  about their lives and how to live with them. They will then know better how to behave towards them. Secondly, the Ministry of the Environment has difficulty finding facilities to run wildlife rescue centres and this project will, in a way, create one. And thirdly, the project is of course also attractive for future visitors to the Treetop Walk and the Krkonoše Mountains.’

Opening planned for April 2026

Robin Böhnisch, Director of the Krkonoše National Park (KRNAP), adds: ‘The brown bear is the only member of its family that has been present on the territory of today's national park since modern times.   It is now returning to the Krkonoše Mountains exactly after 300 years. The KRNAP administration will focus primarily on the ecological part of the project, explaining the importance of the role of large carnivores in the ecosystem and the history of bears in the Krkonoše Mountains.’

The enclosure will be built in the coming months. The arrival of the four bears is planned for October. Their acclimatisation will take place in winter and the official opening of the facility is planned for Easter 2026. The total investment for the construction of the project amounts to more than 15 million Czech crowns (equivalent to around 600,000 euros).

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Ground-breaking ceremony: ‘Bears under the treetops’ is on its way