Praděd National Nature Reserve

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Kouty nad Desnou

The Praděd National Nature Reserve, one of the largest in the Czech Republic, was created in 1991 by connecting the six state nature reserves of Petrovy kameny, Velká kotlina, Malá kotlina, Mt. Praděd, Divoký důl, and Bílá Opava.

The territory features the preserved nature of the highest locations in the Jeseníky Mts. with the character of the northern tundra found in the Alps and Polar regions. The natural treeless landscape above the upper border of the forest at an altitude of 1,350 m has a bare and rocky Alpine character. Forest stands cover the lower portions of the reserve; these are 7th degree beech-spruce and 8th degree spruce forests. These are climax spruce groves with a mixture of rowan trees; beech and sycamore are found at lower elevations and in some places have an ancient forest character. Located in the Bílá Opava River Valley and near the Eustach Lodge are unique remnants of mountain spruce stands of a Jeseník eco-type with a characteristic low conical crown and slanted branches.