From this October a large part of the Czech Paradise area including the Protected Czech Paradise nature reserve, the oldest in the Czech Republic and celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, has been declared a UNESCO Geopark. The Czech Paradise joins 21 European and 8 Chinese Geoparks and can also pride itself on being the only such park in any of the countries which recently joined the EU. It now finds itself in the same league as the famous Petrified Forest on the Greek island of Lesbos, for example.

Members of the Committee for European Geoparks, advisors to the World Geological Union and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) have welcomed the Czech Paradise into a distinguished club of geologically valuable locations. The Geopark encompasses the wider Czech Paradise area, including the Boskovske caves and the Jicin district for example, measuring around 700km