Javorina is a national nature reserve in the White Carpathians that protects one of the region's last untouched beech forests. Here you'll find gnarled, dwarfed beeches, maples and ashes that have grown for around 200 years with virtually no human interference - a genuine primeval forest in the heart of Europe.

The reserve covers steep slopes of the Velká Javořina massif, rising to 958 meters. The landscape is shaped by Tertiary sandstones and steep terrain cut by the headwaters of streams flowing toward the Váh river basin. The harsh mountain-ridge climate has twisted the trees in the highest parts into striking, contorted shapes - a sight that's especially beautiful in autumn when the beech canopy turns red and gold. The reserve directly borders the Slovak reserve Veľká Javorina, together forming a large protected forest complex straddling the border.

How to get there

• From the bus stop Horní Němčí, rozc. Javořina 11.0 on road I/54 - red trail, leads to the summit of Velká Javořina, crossing the westernmost tip of the reserve
• From the village of Květná - green trail, crosses the southeastern part of the reserve all the way into Slovakia to the Holubyho chata

Practical information

• IUCN category Ia reserve - strict scientific protection, access only along marked trails
• The core forest area is closed to visitors and can only be admired from the marked paths
• Part of the White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area and the Natura 2000 network

It's one of the few places in Central Europe where forest has developed completely naturally for two centuries - a living natural monument you won't find anywhere else.