Kaňoury

Kaňoury is a small but ecologically significant natural monument lying east of the village of Nedašov, in the Zlín District of the Czech Republic, within the White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area (CHKO Bílé Karpaty). Covering just 6.5 hectares, it packs in an unusual variety of dry grassland habitats that have become increasingly rare across this part of Moravia.

Where exactly is Kaňoury?

The site sits on the south-facing slopes of the Vysocká hill (660 m above sea level), at the end of the Hrušová dolina valley, roughly 3 km east of the centre of Nedašov. This is a quiet, sparsely built-up corner of the White Carpathians borderland, where rolling hills, meadows and woodland alternate with small villages.

What is being protected here?

Kaňoury consists of a dry, sun-exposed slope combined with several wetter depressions scattered across the terrain. It's exactly this mosaic of microhabitats — from parched, heat-loving grassland to damper hollows — that makes the site worth protecting. The stated purpose of the designation is to preserve flower-rich meadow and pasture plant communities that support heat-loving species, along with rare insects that depend on this specific combination of conditions.

Dry grasslands of this kind, often called xerothermic meadows, are becoming scarcer across Central Europe, mainly because traditional grazing and mowing have stopped in many areas, allowing shrubs and forest to take over. Protecting pockets like Kaňoury therefore carries significance well beyond the immediate local area.

What protection status does the site hold?

Kaňoury is registered as a natural monument (přírodní památka) within the Czech national nature conservation system, and is classified under IUCN Category IV as a Habitat/Species Management Area. The site is administered by the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic (AOPK ČR), operating as part of the White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area administration — one of the country's most valuable regions for wildflower meadows and traditional orchards.

Who is this place for?

Kaňoury isn't a developed tourist attraction with visitor infrastructure or marked educational trails — it's primarily a site of ecological value, appreciated by botanists, entomologists and nature photographers. Visitors who make the trip here can expect quiet surroundings, a near-untouched White Carpathians landscape, and the chance to spot plants and insects typical of xerothermic grasslands that have disappeared from many other parts of the region.

It's worth combining a visit to Kaňoury with a look around Nedašov itself and the neighbouring villages — this is classic territory for slow, contemplative exploration of the Moravian-Slovak borderland, away from the crowds.

Frequently asked questions

Are there marked hiking trails at Kaňoury? The site doesn't have the kind of visitor infrastructure found at larger nature reserves — it's a small, intimate natural monument best suited to a quiet, short walk.

How large is the protected area? The Kaňoury natural monument covers approximately 6.5 hectares.

Who manages the site? It's managed by the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic (AOPK ČR) as part of the White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area administration.

What makes this site ecologically distinctive? The combination of dry, heat-loving grassland with meadow and pasture communities and wetter terrain depressions, which together support rare plant and insect species.