Medlánecké kopce, Natural monument in Brno-Medlánky, Czech Republic
Medlánecké kopce is a natural monument made up of two separate protected hills in Brno: the smaller Medlánecký kopec (322 m) in Medlánky and the larger Střelecký kopec (338 m) in Královo Pole. Their bedrock is metabasite of the Brno massif with granite porphyry intrusions, and loess covers the eastern leeward slopes.
The two hills were long part of Medlánky cadastre; only in the 1960s did Střelecký kopec pass to Královo Pole, and the shared name survives from that earlier arrangement. The area is now a natural monument managed by the South Moravian regional authority, protecting steppe flora and insects.
The name Medlánecké kopce survives from the period before the 1960s, when both hills still belonged to the Medlánky cadastre; the larger Střelecký kopec now lies in Královo Pole. The two protected parts are separate, and the Medlánky airport colony of ground squirrels lies nearby.
The hills are accessible via clearly marked trails starting from nearby neighborhoods, making it easy to plan a walk from either direction. Good footwear is recommended as path conditions vary with the seasons and some sections may be muddy after rain.
Medlánecké kopce is the northernmost known site in the Czech Republic for the sedge Carex stenophylla, and the hills mark the northern limit of the butterfly Zerynthia polyxena. A colony of ground squirrels lives at the nearby Medlánky airfield.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,446 contributors worldwide.