Zhejral

Zhejral is a pond and its surrounding wetlands, sitting in the headwater section of the Studený Stream north of the hamlet of Planiště, near the village of Klatovec in the Jihlava District, above the town of Studená. The area sits at 680-690 metres above sea level in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands and has been protected since 1982 as a national nature reserve and national natural monument.

What makes this reserve worth knowing about?

Zhejral preserves one of the last largely undisturbed remnants of the extensive wetlands that once covered much of this part of the highlands. The reserve exists precisely because most comparable wetland areas in the region were drained or otherwise altered during the 20th century, while this one kept its natural hydrology intact. The pond itself is known for unusually clean water, a direct result of the healthy condition of the surrounding peat bogs and wet meadows, which act as a natural filter for everything that eventually flows into the basin.

What protection status does Zhejral hold?

The site is part of the Natura 2000 network and is classified under IUCN category IV, meaning it is actively managed for the conservation of specific habitats and species rather than left entirely untouched, as strict wilderness reserves (category Ib) would be. In practice this means ongoing management aimed at keeping the conditions that wetland-dependent species need to survive here.

What species live in the reserve?

The peat bogs and meadows around the Zhejral pond support several strictly protected species. Among them is the bog ant (Formica picea), a species tied almost exclusively to this kind of habitat and becoming increasingly rare as peat bogs disappear across Central Europe. Equally notable is the presence of 10 snail species, including the slender moss snail (Vertigo lilljeborgi), an indicator species for well-preserved, consistently moist habitats. Such a concentration of mollusc diversity in a small area points to long-term stability in moisture conditions, undisturbed for decades.

Where exactly is Zhejral located?

The reserve lies in the Jihlava District, within the Vysočina Region, in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. The nearest reference point is the town of Studená, situated to the south of the reserve, making it the most practical starting point for planning a visit to the area. The protected area itself extends north from the small hamlet of Planiště, close to the village of Klatovec.

Frequently asked questions

Is Zhejral a lake or a nature reserve? Both - the name refers to the pond itself, which together with the surrounding peat bogs and meadows forms the national nature reserve of the same name.

Since when has the area been protected? It received protected status on 8 July 1982.

What sets Zhejral apart from other Czech reserves? Its main distinction is the degree of preservation - it is one of the few surviving fragments of the region's once-extensive wetlands that avoided drainage and land conversion, which is why it still has naturally clean water and a full range of wetland-dependent species.

Which species receive special protection here? Primarily the bog ant (Formica picea) and 10 snail species, including the slender moss snail (Vertigo lilljeborgi).

Is the site part of the Natura 2000 network? Yes, Zhejral belongs to the European Natura 2000 network of protected areas.