Zahrady pod Hájem

Zahrady pod Hájem is a national nature reserve stretching along the eastern edge of Velká nad Veličkou, in the Hodonín district, on the western slope of Háj hill (573 m above sea level). Covering 162 hectares, the reserve was designated in 1987 and sits at elevations between 310 and 490 metres.

What makes this landscape so distinctive?

The reserve forms a mosaic of flower-rich White Carpathian meadows, old orchards, scrub thickets and scattered trees, all growing on limestone bedrock. This patchwork of habitats developed over centuries of extensive, low-intensity farming, which allowed an unusually rich meadow flora to flourish alongside traditional fruit-growing.

Why is this considered an orchid paradise?

Zahrady pod Hájem is regarded as the largest known site in the Czech Republic for the green-winged orchid (Anacamptis morio), which forms exceptionally dense populations here. The meadows also host the military orchid (Orchis militaris) and the lady orchid (Orchis purpurea). This thermophilic steppe-meadow flora coexists with the fruit trees typical of old orchards, creating a botanical landscape found nowhere else in the country.

What wildlife and fungi live in the reserve?

The warm microclimate of Háj hill favours numerous butterfly species that feed on the rich meadow vegetation, along with rare birds nesting in the old orchards and scrub. The site is also notable among mycologists: it harbours rare fungi species, making it a place of interest not only to botanists and birdwatchers but to specialists studying fungal diversity as well.

Who manages the reserve and how can it be visited?

The area falls under the care of the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, specifically the administration of the White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area (CHKO Bílé Karpaty), within which the reserve lies. Because of its status as a national nature reserve, movement within the site is restricted — visits are best planned along the marked trails that pass through the most representative meadow and orchard sections, ideally during the orchid flowering period in late spring to early summer.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Zahrady pod Hájem located? On the eastern edge of Velká nad Veličkou in the Hodonín district, on the western slope of Háj hill, within the White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area.

When is the best time to visit? Late spring to early summer, roughly May through June, offers the best chance to see the orchids and flowering meadows, though the site is of ecological interest throughout the growing season.

How is this reserve different from an ordinary orchard? It is not a single orchard but a complex of old orchards interwoven with flower-rich meadows and scrub, protected for its exceptional plant diversity, including rare orchid species.

Since when has the area been protected? It was designated a national nature reserve in 1987.