Czech republic > Moravian-silesian Region > Ostrava > Ostrava Greenery
Category : Countryside
GPS : 49°46'8.4036"N, 18°11'22.20288"E
ID: 3074
A typical feature of the picturesque landscape of the Odra Valley (Poodří) Protected Landscape Area is the reflection of greenery in the calm surfaces of the valley’s many streams, ponds and meanders. The area harbours a number of valuable wetland habitats for several rare plant and animal species, and is the site of the most extensive area of water meadows in the Czech Republic. The Protected Landscape Area includes the Polanská Niva (Polanka Meadows) National Nature Reserve (122.3 hectares), the largest of Ostrava’s small individual protected reserves, located within the boundaries of the municipal district of Polanka nad Odrou.
The Polanka reserve is a typical example of the landscape of the Odra valley, with its alluvial forests, meadows and ponds. The eastern edge of the reserve is marked by the meandering Odra river, with a large ox-bow lake (a former meander now cut off from the river) and alluvial softwood forests lining the riverbanks, dominated by willow thickets and poplars. One of the most beautiful areas in the reserve is Blücher’s Wood, which offers a festival of colour throughout the year. In early spring the wood is white with snowdrops, April brings a rich and colourful carpet of spring herbs, and late spring explodes with the beautiful white flowers of wild garlic.