Walks around the Litovelského Pomoraví ‘House of Nature’, Sluňákov : 2 km to 8 km

• The Litovelské Pomoraví is an important nature reserve in central Moravia, located to the northwest of the historical regional capital, Olomouc. The nature reserve was created in 1990 to protect the floodplain of the meandering Morava river, with its unique marsh and water meadow landscape, home to a rich variety of flora and fauna. There are several marked educational trails within the reserve that are worth exploring.
• In 2014, the city of Olomouc opened the Sluňákov environmental educational center in a 15ha site at the edge of the nature reserve, some 10 km to the northwest of the city. Since then, the site has become a popular destination for visitors to the region. At the center of the site is the ‘House of Nature’ visitor center. In the surrounding landscape, local artists were invited to create a number of monuments and constructions to connect visitors with the environment. Some of these (like the enclosed garden and the ‘solar mountain’ pictured below) can only be accessed on a guided tour or through payment of fee.
• The walk around the Sluňákov site is definitely worth doing as a standalone walk – it is a flat 2 km stroll. For a longer walk, consider the 8 km route set out in the map below, which circles through the wetland area and includes sections of two marked nature trails with information boards. The walk is completely flat on good paths and is suitable for strollers. For refreshments, the Visitor Center usually has drinks and snacks. For something more substantial, try the Lovecká chata, hunting-themed restaurant at map point 6.

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’  to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.

Directions

• The environmental center can be reached easily by bus from Olomouc. If driving, there is a car park directly next to the center
• After taking a loop around the site and visiting the House of Nature, join the RED trail heading northwards to reach the U Tří Mostů junction after 1.8 km
• At the U Tří Mostů junction, turn right onto the GREEN trail heading towards Horka nad Moravou, which is reached after 3.7 km
• At the Horka nad Moravou junction, rejoin the RED trail which leads back to the center after 1.1 km