A small Bohemian-Moravian Highlands reserve of herb-rich beech forest, scree woodland, and old-growth-dependent invertebrates.
Pyšolec Nature Reserve
Pyšolec Nature Reserve is a small protected area in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic, set on a steep, rocky slope above the Svratka River valley in the Hornosvratecká vrchovina (Upper Svratka Highlands). It lies within the municipalities associated with Bystřice nad Pernštejnem, Koroužné, and Vír in the Žďár nad Sázavou district, straddling cadastres such as Kobylnice nad Svratkou, Koroužné, Pivonice u Lesoňovic, and Vír.
The reserve protects a complex of herb-rich beech forest, scree and ravine woodland, and forest edge habitats between roughly 365 and 532 metres above sea level. Its ecological importance lies less in size, just 34.2 hectares, and more in the quality and continuity of mature broadleaf forest with abundant dead and dying wood. This microhabitat richness has produced a notable invertebrate fauna, particularly beetles, snails, and spiders, several of which are of conservation concern.
The site also carries a cultural layer: the ruin of the medieval Pyšolec castle crowns a rocky hill within the reserve, adding open, sun-exposed habitat that supports light-demanding plants and animals. Pyšolec was designated as a nature reserve by the Regional Authority of the Vysočina Region, taking effect on 23 September 2021, with a renewed declaration on 25 January 2024.
