Hidden on the steep western slopes of Lysá hora — the highest peak of the Moravian-Silesian Beskids at 1323 m — the Mazák National Nature Reserve is one of the finest surviving patches of primeval fir-beech forest in the entire Carpathian range. If you want to see what the Beskids looked like before large-scale forestry took over, this is the place to come.

The reserve spans an impressive altitudinal range from around 715 m up to 1315 m above sea level, covering 92 hectares of dramatic, deeply ravined terrain between the Lukšinec and Kobylanka ridges. As you climb, the vegetation shifts: lush beech forests dominate the lower slopes, giving way to mixed stands with silver fir, sycamore maple and ash, before Norway spruce takes over near the summit. Fallen trunks and standing deadwood are very much part of the picture — they are a protected feature, essential for the forest's natural regeneration. The reserve is beautiful in every season: spring brings vivid green and birdsong, summer offers cool shade under ancient canopies, autumn sets the beeches ablaze in gold and copper, and winter turns it into a hushed, snow-draped wilderness.

• The most common starting point is Ostravice or the trails leading up to Lysá hora from the west — marked hiking trails cross the reserve on the way to the summit; allow roughly 2–3 hours to reach the upper edge of the reserve, difficulty: moderate to demanding due to steep gradients.
• An alternative approach is from the Lysá hora mountain hut, descending through the reserve on the way back down.

• The reserve is strictly protected — please stick to marked trails and do not leave the path.
• Look out for Eurasian lynx, capercaillie, three-toed woodpecker, black stork and fire salamander — keep noise to a minimum.
• Accessible year-round, but winter conditions on the steep slopes can be hazardous; traction devices are recommended.

For over 250 years the forests of Mazák were owned by the Habsburg dynasty, who protected them to preserve the habitat of capercaillie — a passion of the imperial family for hunting. That unlikely royal favour is a big reason why this ancient forest survives in such remarkable shape today.