Mydlovarský luh, Nature reserve in Ostrá and Kostomlaty nad Labem, Czech Republic

Mydlovarský luh is a nature reserve along the right bank of the Elbe River featuring floodplain forests, wetlands, and natural water channels. The area covers about 166 hectares and supports diverse plant and animal species adapted to these wet habitats.

The reserve is named after Mydlovar Castle, formerly called Kostomlaty, first recorded in 1223 with Sezema of Kostomlat. The castle was abandoned and decayed from 1561. The Elbe was regulated in the 1930s, straightening the channel and leaving the dead arms that form the reserve, later included in Natura 2000.

The reserve takes its name from Mydlovar Castle, formerly called Kostomlaty, first recorded in 1223 with Sezema of Kostomlaty. Both names come from soap-making: bones were crushed, boiled and leached to make soap. The castle was abandoned from 1561 and is now a ruin.

The reserve lies 2 km east of Ostrá and about 2 km southwest of Kostomlaty nad Labem, on the right bank of the Elbe. The ruins of Mydlovar are reached by a short detour from the blue-marked hiking trail running along the river. The terrain is flat, averaging 170 m above sea level, with ponds such as Bezednice, Buda, Bílá, Králíček, Žitina and Novákova tůň.

The Farský potok stream winds naturally through the reserve, forming meanders and seasonal depressions that support specialized ecosystems. These changing water conditions create a dynamic landscape that shifts noticeably with each season.