Slanisko u Nesytu

Slanisko u Nesytu is a national nature reserve lying just south of the village of Sedlec in the Břeclav district, on the western shore of the Nesyt fishpond in South Moravia. Covering barely 7 hectares, it protects the largest inland salt marsh in the Czech Republic. Legal protection was granted in 1961, making it one of the country's longest-standing reserves of this kind.

What makes this place unusual?

The reserve owes its existence to a rare combination of factors: a high concentration of mineral salts in the soil and a dry, continental climate typical of South Moravia, where evaporation exceeds rainfall for much of the year. Under these conditions, salts crystallize on the soil surface, producing an inland salt marsh — a habitat far more commonly associated with coastlines or the Pannonian steppes of Hungary than with landlocked Central Europe.

Which plants grow here?

Nearly 30 plant species tied specifically to saline soils grow within the reserve. Among the most valuable are small-leaved seablite and the Pannonian aster, each holding one of only two known sites for the species in the entire country. Rarer still is the Bessarabian dandelion, for which Slanisko u Nesytu represents one of just three surviving locations in the Czech Republic. Their presence gives the reserve significance that extends beyond national borders, marking it as an important refuge for halophytic flora in Central Europe.

What animals are found in the reserve?

Slanisko u Nesytu is the only site in the Czech Republic where two rare invertebrates tied to saline habitats maintain stable populations: a grasshopper species adapted to salt marsh conditions and a specialized wolf spider found nowhere else in the country outside this environment. Both species are highly specialized ecologically and depend almost entirely on this narrow habitat type, which makes their presence here scientifically significant.

Who manages the reserve and what surrounds it?

The reserve falls under the administration of the Pálava Protected Landscape Area, linking it to the broader network of nature protection in South Moravia that also includes the nearby Pálava hills and the pond system of the Lednice–Valtice cultural landscape. The neighboring Nesyt fishpond, one of the largest ponds in the Czech Republic, shapes the local microclimate and soil moisture, helping sustain the specific saline conditions the reserve depends on.

Can visitors explore the reserve?

Because of its status as a national nature reserve and the sensitivity of its habitat, access is restricted and movement is limited to designated paths where they exist. Even so, the surrounding area around the Nesyt fishpond and the wider Pálava region remains a popular destination for nature walks and birdwatching, thanks to its proximity to hiking routes connecting the South Moravian wine country with protected landscapes.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Slanisko u Nesytu located? South of the village of Sedlec, in the Břeclav district of South Moravia, on the western shore of the Nesyt fishpond.

Since when has the area been protected? It has held protected status since 1961.

What makes this reserve unique? It is the largest inland salt marsh in the Czech Republic, formed by saline soil and a dry climate, hosting rare plant and insect species found almost nowhere else in the country.

Which species are worth looking out for? Small-leaved seablite, the Pannonian aster, the Bessarabian dandelion, and the specialized salt-marsh grasshopper and wolf spider.