Bralová

Bralová is a small nature reserve located about one kilometer southwest of the village of Střílky, in the Bučovice Uplands near the Chřiby landscape park. The protected area covers just 0.86 hectares, spread across a gentle, sun-facing slope at an elevation of 380 to 395 meters above sea level.

How did this place come to be protected?

Bralová was declared a protected natural monument on May 7, 1953, by the then Czechoslovak Ministry of Education, making it one of the older protected sites in the region. Today it is classified under IUCN Category IV, a designation for habitat and species management areas. The primary reason for its protection is the preservation of thermophilic (heat-loving) grassland vegetation that has developed on calcareous sandstone bedrock.

What does the geology tell us?

The bedrock beneath Bralová consists of grey to yellowish-grey calcareous sandstones with layers of conglomerate, dating back to the Oligocene and Miocene periods. A defining feature of the landscape is an abandoned sandstone quarry, whose exposed walls and spoil heaps created additional habitat niches for light-demanding plant species. The soils here are predominantly brown soils transitioning into pararendzinas — thin, well-drained substrates that favor xerothermic (dry, warmth-loving) vegetation over more competitive plant communities.

What plants grow here?

Bralová is best known as the northernmost Moravian site for the purple viper's grass (Scorzonera purpurea), a rare steppe plant whose local population of several dozen individuals has remained stable over the years. The dominant vegetation consists of grasses typical of xerothermic grasslands, including tor-grass (Brachypodium pinnatum) and upright brome (Bromus erectus). These are accompanied by other species characteristic of dry, warm slopes, such as yellow flax (Linum flavum) and white broomrape (Orobanche alba) — a parasitic, chlorophyll-free plant that draws nutrients from the roots of neighboring species.

What animals live in the reserve?

Among the insects recorded at Bralová are several rare species of ground beetles, along with butterflies including swallowtails and the burnet moth Zygaena ephialtes, a striking, warningly-colored species typical of xerothermic grasslands. Birdlife includes the red-backed shrike, a species closely tied to open, warm terrain interspersed with shrubs, which it uses both for nesting and as hunting perches. Among mammals, the European hare makes use of the reserve's open grassy areas.

How is the reserve maintained?

Preserving Bralová's unique natural features requires ongoing human intervention. Each year, typically in August, the grassland is mown by hand to prevent shrubs and trees from encroaching on the open habitat. Invasive species are also actively removed, most notably black locust, which can quickly shade out and displace the light-demanding xerothermic vegetation if left unchecked. The shrubby vegetation surrounding the core grassland is maintained as a buffer zone, shielding the reserve's most valuable habitat from outside disturbance.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Bralová located? The reserve lies about 1 km southwest of the village of Střílky, within the Bučovice Uplands, close to the Chřiby landscape park.

How large is the protected area? Bralová covers just 0.86 hectares, making it one of the smaller nature reserves in the region.

Why is this site so significant? It hosts the northernmost Moravian population of the purple viper's grass and represents a well-preserved example of thermophilic grassland developing on the site of a former sandstone quarry.

Can visitors explore Bralová? As a protected nature reserve, the site should be treated with care — visitors are encouraged to stay on marked paths and avoid picking plants or disturbing wildlife.