NPP Švařec

Švařec National Nature Monument is a small but ecologically significant protected area on the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, located in the Žďár nad Sázavou district, straddling the cadastral territories of the villages of Švařec and Koroužné. Covering roughly 14.5 hectares, the reserve occupies a steep, south-facing slope rising between 382 and 468 metres above sea level. It was declared a protected area in 1985 and is now managed by the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, through its regional branch responsible for the Žďárské vrchy Protected Landscape Area.

What does the reserve protect?

The monument was established to safeguard a mosaic of dry, thermophilic grasslands scattered with common juniper bushes, growing on a warm, sun-exposed hillside. This habitat supports two critically endangered orchid species: autumn lady's tresses (Spiranthes spiralis) and green-winged orchid (Anacamptis morio). They grow alongside fringed gentian and the great pasque flower. The underlying geology is varied, dominated by slate but enriched with pockets of crystalline limestone, which help sustain the diversity of grasses and herbs typical of subalpine meadows and pastures.

Why does this site matter for insects?

Švařec is equally notable for its invertebrate fauna. The dry grasslands host a critically endangered population of the large blue butterfly (Phengaris arion, formerly classified as Maculinea arion), a species whose larvae depend on a complex relationship with specific ant colonies to complete their development. The reserve is also home to numerous other heat-loving insect species, some of which reach the very edge of their distribution range in the Czech Republic here.

How did this landscape come to be?

The reserve's open, sun-drenched slope dotted with individual junipers is the result of centuries of extensive grazing and mowing, which prevented the land from becoming overgrown with forest. This traditional land management created and maintained the warm, open conditions that thermophilic plants and insects depend on. Continued conservation of the site therefore relies on keeping up similar practices — periodic mowing and grazing that hold back the natural succession of trees and shrubs.

What should visitors know before coming?

The reserve lies in the scenic Svratecko region, close to the Svratka River, surrounded by the fields, meadows and woodlands typical of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. It is a rewarding destination above all for botany and entomology enthusiasts — late spring and early summer offer the best chances to see the orchids in bloom. As a nationally protected nature monument, visitors are expected to stay on marked paths and refrain from picking any plants.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Švařec National Nature Monument located? On a steep, south-facing slope between the villages of Švařec and Koroužné, in the Žďár nad Sázavou district, at an elevation of 382–468 metres.

When was the site protected? It was declared a national nature monument in 1985 and covers approximately 14.5 hectares.

Which species make the reserve especially valuable? The critically endangered orchids autumn lady's tresses and green-winged orchid, together with the large blue butterfly, whose population here is also critically endangered.

Who manages the reserve? The Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, through its regional office administering the Žďárské vrchy Protected Landscape Area.