Bohemian Paradise set to lose UNESCO label by end of year

The Bohemian Paradise Geopark is set to lose its prestigious UNESCO protected label by the end of the year, the park’s director Jana Lebedová announced earlier today.

One of Czechia’s most visited areas renowned for its sandstone rock towns and jewelry tradition, the Geopark was given a so-called yellow card in 2024 over its suspected cooperation with institutions – including the Turnov museum – selling gemstones of unknown origin.

The park, which is operated by the Geopark Bohemian Paradise non-profit organization, ended its partnership with the museum, but inspectors from UNESCO’s Global Geoparks Council reportedly didn’t consider the move sufficient.

UNESCO commissioners came to the Czech Republic and spent five days in the Bohemian Paradise over the summer, initially expressing a cautious but positive opinion on the park’s management while postponing their final decision to October.

“They were strict, they subjected me to a real grilling, but their feedback was very good, even though there was some criticism,” Lebedová said at the time.

According to her, UNESCO commissioners pushed for the park to increase its links with schools and local communities, connect the area’s cultural and geological heritage and make it clearer that the site is a UNESCO geopark.

According to the UNESCO website, geoparks are “single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.”

There are currently 241 UNESCO Global Geoparks in more than 50 countries.

A protected landscape area since the mid-1950’s, the Bohemian Paradise became part of the European Geopark Network in 2005 and became the only Czech site to become part of the UNESCO Global Geopark Network in 2015.

On Tuesday, its director Jana Lebedová confirmed that there would be no appeal against UNESCO’s decision to strip the park from its label.