Pod Obrovou nohou

Pod Obrovou nohou is a small but ecologically valuable nature reserve located in the southern part of the Otaslavice municipal district, on the Drahany Highlands in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. The protected area covers just under 29 hectares and encompasses forest and floodplain plant communities that shelter legally protected species of flora and fauna. It is precisely this mix of habitats — from drier slopes to the moister valley bottom — that gives the site significance beyond its modest size.

Where does the name come from?

The reserve takes its name from the neighboring hill known as Obrova noha, literally "the giant's foot," which rises to the northwest of the protected land. The name has long been used locally and most likely relates to the hill's distinctive shape, which inspired folk tales attributing unusual landforms to the work of legendary giants.

What is hidden on Obrova noha hill?

The hill itself is more than a scenic landmark — it is one of the region's most significant archaeological sites. Its summit once held a hillfort, a fortified settlement occupied across an extraordinarily long span of time. Traces of habitation date back to the younger and late Stone Age, and the site continued to be used through the Bronze and Iron Ages, right up to the period of Slavic settlement. Such continuity of occupation on a single hill is unusual and points to the location's strategic importance, both defensive and commercial. The hillfort stood along an ancient trade route known as the Amber Road, which since antiquity carried amber from the Baltic coast toward southern Europe.

Why protect this land?

The Pod Obrovou nohou reserve was established to preserve the mosaic of natural plant communities developing on the slopes and in the small valley below the hill. The presence of varied forest and floodplain habitats helps sustain species that increasingly struggle to find suitable conditions in the intensively farmed landscape typical of the Drahany Highlands. Here, nature conservation is directly intertwined with the protection of archaeological heritage — a rare combination that gives the site both scientific and educational value.

What can visitors find there today?

Today, the area of the former hillfort and the adjoining reserve are accessible to hikers following trails across the Drahany Highlands. The Otaslavice area remains a relatively quiet, uncrowded corner of the Czech countryside, which makes it well suited to observing wildlife undisturbed. Walking through the protected land, visitors can appreciate the gently rolling upland scenery while also picturing what life might have looked like centuries ago on a fortified hill guarding an important trade route.

Frequently Asked Questions

How large is the Pod Obrovou nohou reserve? The protected area covers approximately 28.86 hectares.

What is protected within its boundaries? Forest and floodplain plant communities along with the legally protected plant and animal species that inhabit them.

How is the reserve connected to the nearby hillfort? It borders the Obrova noha hill, site of a multi-period hillfort occupied from the late Stone Age through the Slavic era, situated along the Amber Road trade route.

Where exactly is the site located? In the southern part of the Otaslavice municipal district, on the Drahany Highlands, in the Prostějov district of the Czech Republic.