Poodří Protected Landscape Area

Poodří is one of the few places in the country that follows the course of a river and is so rare that it is worth establishing a protected landscape area. Mostly mountainous areas deserve protection. The plains around rivers have remained outside the interest of conservationists.

The reason for this was simple – they were usually already so marked by man, who had farmed them for centuries, that there was nothing to protect. The fact that Poodří became a Protected Landscape Area in 1991 is in itself a testament to the preservation of nature. The bed of the Odra River and its blind arms create a unique system in the landscape, which regularly absorbs huge amounts of water from the Oderské vrchy (“Odra Mountains”) during the spring thaw. Here, nature triumphs over man’s efforts to conquer the area. That is why Poodří, with its floodplain forests, is still the original home of many species of water birds and mammals. Together with the diversity of plants, Poodří is so rare that it is one of the most important sites of its kind in the whole of Europe.

Lovers of leisurely walks in the flat landscape will enjoy the views of the river’s water surface and the many ponds, which are located mainly around Jistebník, where the Odra River slowly approaches Ostrava. The area around Jistebník is one of the most visited parts of Poodří, among other reasons, because large species of water birds such as herons and swans can be observed on the ponds.

There are several places in the Poodří region that have educational trails leading through them. One of them is the Chateau Educational Trail in Bartošovice. You can also visit the Kotvice educational trail in the vicinity of Studénka. There are also several dozen memorial trees in the Poodří area.