Bukačka, nature reserve in Sedloňov, Czechia

Bukačka is a national nature reserve on the main ridge of the Orlické Mountains, protecting a dwarfed beech forest with spruce, sycamore maple and rowan, plus a peat meadow. In its centre an open clearing holds an upper and a lower meadow, among the highest in the range, and the ground runs from 910 to 1025 metres above sea level.

The area received legal protection in 1954 as one of the older reserves in the Orlické Mountains. Its designation aimed to safeguard a forest that had kept old-growth features, with dead wood and hollow trees still standing in place.

In spring, thousands of snowdrops (bledule) bloom around the forest springs on the western slopes of the Orlické Mountains ridge. The meadows are mown in a mosaic pattern with areas rotated between years, a practice that keeps the open enclave from being overgrown and preserves insect diversity.

The reserve is best reached on foot from the surrounding forest roads, and the wetter sections around the springs can be soft underfoot in spring. Wear sturdy shoes and keep to the path, especially where the two meadows meet near the Polish border.

The place is sometimes called the botanical garden of the Orlické Mountains because of its many protected plant and animal species. The smallest Czech mammal, the Eurasian least shrew, is especially numerous here, finding ideal conditions in the wet meadows and peat-rich ground.