Skelná Huť

Skelná Huť is a small but ecologically significant nature reserve in the municipality of Protivanov, in the Prostějov District, part of the Drahany Highlands. The protected area covers 19 hectares and was officially designated on 7 July 1988. Its name recalls a glassworks that once operated on the site between 1760 and 1913 — today nothing remains of that industrial past, and the land has fully returned to nature.

What can visitors find in the reserve?

The reserve covers a stretch of the valley of the Luha stream, where well-preserved communities of waterlogged and peat-forming meadows have survived. This shifting mosaic of wet and dry patches, depending on the season and rainfall, is exactly what makes the site a refuge for numerous rare and endangered plant and animal species. During periods of heavy rain, water collects in natural depressions, forming temporary wetlands across the meadows.

What plant species grow here?

The meadows of Skelná Huť host a rich variety of species typical of wet habitats. Visitors familiar with botany can spot brook thistle (Cirsium rivulare) and marsh thistle (Cirsium palustre), common bistort (Bistorta major), narrow-leaved cotton-grass (Eriophorum angustifolium), various sedges (Carex), and broad-leaved marsh orchid (Dactylorhiza majalis) — an orchid species characteristic of damp meadows. The presence of such varied flora points to a well-preserved ecosystem that has avoided heavy agricultural pressure in recent decades.

Who manages the reserve, and why does it matter?

The area falls under the administration of the Olomouc Regional Authority. Wetland meadows of this kind are steadily disappearing across Central Europe due to land drainage, agricultural intensification, and the development of river valleys. Preserving such a large, continuous complex of peat-forming and waterlogged meadows therefore carries significance well beyond the boundaries of Protivanov itself — it functions as a stronghold for species that have already lost their natural habitat elsewhere.

Where does the name Skelná Huť come from?

The reserve's name directly reflects the history of the site. Between 1760 and 1913 a glassworks operated here, relying on local timber as fuel and sand for glass production. After the glassworks closed, the land gradually turned into marshland and meadows, which today form the subject of nature protection.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Skelná Huť reserve located? The reserve lies within the cadastral territory of Protivanov, in the Prostějov District, in the Drahany Highlands, along the valley of the Luha stream.

How large is the protected area? The reserve covers 19 hectares.

Since when has the area been protected? It has held nature reserve status since 7 July 1988.

Which plant species are most characteristic of the site? Notable species include the broad-leaved marsh orchid, narrow-leaved cotton-grass, and both brook and marsh thistle — all typical of waterlogged, peat-forming meadows.

Why does the name reference a glassworks? Because a glass furnace operated at this location from 1760 to 1913, after which the land gradually transformed into the meadow-wetland ecosystem seen today.