Mionší forest, National nature reserve in Dolní Lomná, Czech Republic

Mionší forest is a protected woodland in the northeast of the Czech Republic, set on a ridge near the villages of Horní Lomná and Úplaz. It extends over rolling ground with tall fir and beech trunks rising toward a thick roof of leaves, while streams and open fields border the woods.

The woodland has kept much of its old-growth character through centuries in which surrounding slopes were cleared for farming and settlement. A hunting lodge used by Archduke Bedřich, also called Marquis Gero, still stands inside the reserve as a trace of aristocratic land use.

Along the marked route, ten information stops introduce the birds, trees and fungi that share this wooded space, turning a simple walk into a way of reading the landscape. The forest is used mainly for quiet walking, since bicycles are not allowed and the reserve stays free of motor traffic.

Wear sturdy shoes because the ground has uphill sections and exposed roots, and keep to the marked path to avoid damaging the soil. Walking the route takes two to three hours, and going with a guide is required if you leave the main trail.

The forest shelters around 73 kinds of birds, including black storks and Ural owls, which can be heard more often than seen among the dense branches. Some fir and beech trunks here reach 60 meters high and are over 250 years old, making them among the tallest living things in this part of the Carpathians.