Kněhyně – Čertův mlýn National Nature Reserve

Kněhyně – Čertův mlýn National Nature Reserve is a protected natural area located in the Czech Republic, straddling the Moravian-Silesian and Zlín regions. The reserve covers the upper, near-summit sections of two mountains that form part of the Moravian-Silesian Beskids – Kněhyně and Čertův mlýn – and lies within the boundaries of the CHKO Beskydy protected landscape area, one of the larger nature-protection systems in this part of the Czech Republic.

Where exactly is the reserve located?

The reserve stretches across an elevation range of 965 to 1257 metres above sea level, meaning it spans a zone that runs from the higher mountain forest belt up toward the summit areas. The geographic coordinates marking the approximate centre of the site are around 49.49° north latitude and 18.31° east longitude, placing the reserve right in the heart of the Moravian-Silesian Beskids, a mountain range running along the Czech-Slovak border and adjoining the Polish part of the Beskids.

How large is the reserve?

The reserve covers an area of 195.02 hectares. This is a large enough area to encompass the entire near-summit sections of both mountains, along with the elevation difference of nearly 300 metres between them – from 965 to 1257 metres above sea level. This vertical range means the reserve's boundaries take in different vegetation belts typical of mountain terrain at these elevations in the Moravian-Silesian Beskids.

When was the reserve established?

The Kněhyně – Čertův mlýn National Nature Reserve was established on 19 January 1989. This places it among the protected areas designated before the political transformation in Czechoslovakia, showing that the natural value of this site was recognised and formally safeguarded more than three decades ago.

What are the mountains Kněhyně and Čertův mlýn?

Both mountains, which give the reserve its name, belong to the Moravian-Silesian Beskids – a mountain range that forms part of the Western Carpathians, running along the eastern border of the Czech Republic with Poland and Slovakia. The reserve protects their near-summit sections, meaning the highest-lying parts of both peaks, found within the elevation band of 965 to 1257 metres above sea level.

What protection status does the area have?

The site functions as a national nature reserve – one of the protection categories used within the Czech legal system, reserved for areas of particular natural significance at a national level. In addition, the reserve lies within the boundaries of CHKO Beskydy (the Beskydy Protected Landscape Area), which covers a significant part of the Czech Beskids. This means the area is subject to a dual protection regime: strict reserve-level protection across its 195.02 hectares, and broader landscape protection as part of CHKO Beskydy.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Kněhyně – Čertův mlýn reserve located? In the Czech Republic, in the Moravian-Silesian and Zlín regions, within the Moravian-Silesian Beskids and the CHKO Beskydy protected landscape area.

How big is the reserve? The reserve covers an area of 195.02 hectares.

At what elevation is the reserve located? The site spans an elevation range of 965 to 1257 metres above sea level.

When was the reserve established? The reserve was established on 19 January 1989.

Which mountains does the reserve cover? The near-summit sections of the mountains Kněhyně and Čertův mlýn.