Sýkoř

Sýkoř is a hill rising to 705 metres above sea level, located about 1.5 km north of the village of Synalov in the Brno-venkov District, South Moravian Region. It stands within the Hornosvratecká Highlands, inside the Svratecká Hornatina nature park, and is sometimes called the "roof of the Tišnov region" because of how it towers over the surrounding countryside near Tišnov.

Why is Sýkoř protected?

Since 1990, the summit and slopes of the hill have formed a natural monument of the same name, covering 96.45 hectares. It safeguards the last extensive, well-preserved remnants of typical beech forests and beech-sycamore maple forests representative of the fourth (beech) forest vegetation zone of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. The site is registered within ÚSES, the Territorial System of Ecological Stability, as a biocentre of regional significance.

What can visitors find at the summit?

The relatively flat top of Sýkoř is covered by an ancient beech forest, with individual trees reaching up to 250 years of age. This old-growth stand forms the ecological core of the natural monument, and the herb layer beneath it has retained the natural species composition typical of undisturbed beech woodland in the region.

What landforms make Sýkoř distinctive?

The hill also preserves striking relief features shaped by the cold climate of the ice age, including frost rubble, cryoplanation terraces, and boulder streams. These are traces of intense frost weathering that took place at this elevation during glacial periods, and today they add a notable geomorphological dimension to the site alongside its botanical value.

Where is Sýkoř located relative to nearby villages?

The hill rises just north of Synalov, a picturesque village in the Brno-venkov District, set within the Hornosvratecká Highlands and the Svratecká Hornatina nature park, roughly 9 km north of Tišnov. Synalov was first recorded in writing in 1360, and the village also includes a small cottage settlement called Kopaniny on its northern edge. Overlooking this area, Sýkoř has long served as a local landmark and a destination for hikers.

Frequently asked questions

How high is Sýkoř? The hill reaches 705 metres above sea level.

Since when has Sýkoř been a protected natural monument? Legal protection was established in 1990, covering an area of 96.45 hectares.

What does the Sýkoř natural monument protect? Mainly old-growth beech and beech-sycamore maple forests in their natural state, with an intact herb layer, along with distinctive post-glacial relief forms.

How far is the hill from Synalov? About 1.5 km to the north of the village.

Which tourist region does Sýkoř belong to? The Hornosvratecká Highlands and the Svratecká Hornatina nature park, near Tišnov, in the Brno-venkov District.