CHKO Jeseníky (Jeseníky Protected Landscape Area)

Unrepeatable and unique, mysterious and picturesque at the same time. Such is nature in the Jeseníky Mountains. The landscape has been formed over millions of years and today we can admire wells, streams, waterfalls, pools, peat bogs... Similarly, high mountains overgrown only with grass or dwarf trees that have coped with the harsh natural conditions.

The Jeseníky Mountains are home to many species of birds, animals, insects, flora, herbs and trees. There are hundreds and thousands of representatives of fauna and flora that have created their world here. Many of them cannot be found anywhere else and naturalists from all over the country and abroad come to admire them. The Jeseníky Mountains are loved by photographers who capture the mysterious atmosphere of the local forests, streams and unrepeatable skylines.

It is no wonder that the whole area has formed one big Protected Landscape Area of the Jeseníky Mountains. It was proclaimed in 1969 and covers an area of 740 square kilometres. Most of this area is covered by forests, mostly man-planted spruce and beech, but there are also remnants of the original natural forests as created by nature itself.

The most valuable parts of the Protected Landscape Area are the four national nature reserves, which are situated at the peaks of Praděd, Šerák-Keprník, Rejvíz and around the Peat Bog Skřítek. The richest botanical locality is the Velká kotlina (Great Basin), where 450 species of higher plants grow. Lynx live in the Jeseníky Mountains, wolves and bears rarely stray here.

The Jeseníky Mountains are an absolutely unique area not only in the Czech Republic, but in the whole of Europe. They not only allow you to explore the surrounding nature, but also to enjoy sports all year round. In the past, they were part of the Sudetenland, which greatly influenced the life of the people who have been associated with these rugged but beautiful mountains for centuries.