A small protected hilltop in the Hornosvratecká vrchovina of southern Moravia, noted for its mosaic of dry grassland habitats and sweeping views.
Veselský chlum
Veselský chlum is a modest hill and a protected natural monument located in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, west of the town of Lomnice in the Brno-venkov district of the South Moravian Region in the Czech Republic. Reaching 578 meters at its summit, the hill rises only a few hundred meters above the surrounding countryside, yet it stands out because much of its upper surface and flanks remain open, dry, and lightly wooded. The natural monument designation focuses on preserving an unusual mosaic of vegetation formations that has been shaped by traditional land management, including open grassland, scattered shrubs, and patches of woodland transitioning across very short distances.
The protected area covers the summit and a portion of the slopes, capturing the most ecologically valuable habitats on the hill. To the northwest, the slopes pass into the adjacent Sokolí skála nature reserve, which protects cliff and rock habitats and effectively extends the conservation network around the hill. Because the hilltop is largely free of forest, visitors are rewarded with broad panoramic views across the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, while the surrounding mosaic creates an unusually rich habitat pattern within a very small footprint.
Although small in size and modest in elevation, Veselský chlum is distinctive because of the concentration of different vegetation types on a single hill and the cultural-ecological interaction that maintains them. The site is recognized by the IUCN as a Category IV protected area, classified as a habitat or species management area, highlighting its role in protecting a working cultural landscape rather than a purely wild ecosystem.
