Mionsi Forest

Mionsi is a national nature reserve in the Moravian-Silesian Beskydy above Dolni Lomna, protecting around a hundred and seventy hectares of forest that was never clear-felled - beech with silver fir and spruce, with trees of several centuries, standing and fallen deadwood, and a structure of gaps and regeneration that plantation forest does not have. It is the largest such remnant in the Beskydy and one of the more significant in the Carpathian arc on the Czech side. The reserve is closed to general entry and can be walked only on guided routes run in season through the local visitor centre, which is both a conservation measure and the reason it stays in the condition it is in. Fungi, saproxylic beetles and hole-nesting birds are the species groups that matter here. The Lomna valley below is Gorals country, with wooden buildings and a strong folk tradition.

What you actually see

• Never clear-felled forest - beech and silver fir of several centuries.
• Standing and fallen deadwood - the structure plantation forest does not have.
• Guided access only - the reserve otherwise closed to entry.
• The Lomna valley below - Gorals villages with wooden buildings.

When to go

June to September. Half a day.

Honest expectations

There is no free access - walks must be booked and run only in season, in limited numbers. Routes are muddy and steep. The interest is ecological rather than scenic; a guide is genuinely needed to read it.

Nearby

Dolni Lomna is below; Lysa hora is west.