Prague, Dec 25 (CTK) – The Brdy military training ground in the Central Bohemia and Plzen regions will be closed at the end of December and a protected landscape area, open to the public including tourists, will be established there instead.
In January, another four military training grounds will be diminished. These will be those in Boletice, south Bohemia, Brezina, south Moravia, Hradiste, west Bohemia, and Libava, north Moravia.
The Brdy Mountains, somewhat similar to the Sumava Mountains, is located in the middle of dense woodland in Central Bohemia.
However, few, if any people have been able to visit the area apart from soldiers and foresters.
At the fringes of the Brdy Mountains, there are three major peaks: Plesivec (654 m) with many finds of bronze hoards, Zdar (629 m) with iron ore deposits and Tremsin (827 m) with gold deposits.
The project of the Brdy firing range was approved in 1926. Its current area is about 260 square kilometres.
At the beginning of the year, up to 30 percent of the area is to be opened to hikers and bikers.
All the areas where the military will be no longer present will be made accessible to the public by the end of 2017 when its bomb-disposal reconnaissance will end.
After the military training ground is closed, roughly 450 kilometres of cycling and hiking trails are to marked there.
Only the training ground of the 13th artillery regiment Jince with the area of about 560 hectares will stay in Brdy.
The military does not need the training ground any longer. The Defence Ministry argues that due to the reduction of the military, it has lost its sense.
