Zimný potok

Zimný potok Nature Reserve is a small but notable protected area located in the Czech Republic, in the Moravian-Silesian Region, in the Frýdek-Místek District, within the municipality of Krásná. The reserve sits inside the larger Beskydy Protected Landscape Area (CHKO Beskydy), meaning it forms part of a broader, connected network of protected land across the Moravian-Silesian Beskids. For anyone exploring this part of the Beskids, it is a worthwhile addition to a route through the surrounding hills and stream valleys.

Where exactly is the reserve located?

Zimný potok stretches along the upper reaches of the stream that gives it its name, on the northeastern slope of Mount Zimny. This places the reserve in a distinctly mountainous setting, where the terrain rises and falls along the watercourse and the landscape has been shaped by the erosive action of flowing water. The reserve's coordinates are approximately 49.5437 N, 18.4682 E, which pinpoints it precisely within the region.

How large is the reserve and at what elevation does it sit?

The reserve covers an area of 3.33 hectares — a relatively small footprint, typical of reserves that protect a specific, narrow section of a stream valley rather than an extensive forest complex or mountain massif. The terrain within the reserve spans elevations from 790 to 1,050 metres above sea level. A difference of 260 metres packed into such a small area points to steep, varied terrain, characteristic of the upper sections of mountain streams where water descends a significant gradient over a short distance.

Since when has the area been protected?

Zimný potok Nature Reserve was established in 2004. Setting it up as a distinct reserve, nested within the already-existing Beskydy Protected Landscape Area, suggests that this particular stretch of the stream valley was judged valuable enough from a nature-conservation standpoint to warrant a stricter protection regime than the standard rules applying across the wider CHKO Beskydy.

What is CHKO Beskydy, and how does Zimný potok fit into it?

CHKO Beskydy is one of the larger protected landscape areas in the Czech Republic, covering a substantial part of the Moravian-Silesian Beskids. Zimný potok is one of several smaller, more strictly protected areas carved out within this larger territory — this kind of arrangement, where a number of point-scale reserves with a higher level of protection sit inside one large protected landscape area, is a common structure used within the Czech nature-conservation system.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Zimný potok Nature Reserve located? In the Czech Republic, in the Moravian-Silesian Region, in the Frýdek-Místek District, in the municipality of Krásná, on the northeastern slope of Mount Zimny.

How large is the reserve? 3.33 hectares.

At what elevation is the reserve situated? Between 790 and 1,050 metres above sea level.

When was the reserve established? In 2004.

Is the reserve part of a larger protected area? Yes, it lies within CHKO Beskydy, the protected landscape area covering the Moravian-Silesian Beskids.