Protected Landscape Area Pálava

Protected Landscape Area Pálava

Pavlovské hills (Pálava) was declared a protected landscape area in 1976 and was recognized by UNESCO in 1986. This area is currently part of the Lower Morava Biosphere Reserve. Pálava, the northern tip of Pannonia, is dominated by the limestone Pavlov Hills (part of the outer Western Carpathians), and contains a significant proportion of natural or little affected steppe ecosystems that include meadow steppe, forest steppe, and thermophilic oak forest. In the floodplain of the river Thaya, forests alternate with meadows and wetland habitat that also include halophytic vegetation.

Pálava is a historical cultural landscape inhabited already in the times of Paleolithic mammoth hunters. The archaeological finds of the world importance are presented in the Pavlov Archaeopark. The current landscape is the result of long-term cultivation of the area, especially supported by the Liechtenstein and Dietrichstein families. The town of Mikulov, the centre of the area, and its surroundings are an example of a unique early Baroque designed landscape.

The remaining part of Pálava is a historical rural landscape with many sustainably farmed vineyards that are a part of the Mikulovská wine subregion. During the field trip, the participants will learn about the management of the protected landscape area and visit the most interesting places in the region (Mikulov, Klentnice, Pavlov).