Radegast Nature Trail

Nature trails in the Beskydy Protected Landscape Area (CHKO) whose establisher is the Beskydy CHKO Administration

The Radegast Nature Trail was built during 2000-2001 utilizing a grant from the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic and the financial contribution of Beskydy CHKO Administration and Lesů ČR s.p. (Forests of the Czech Republic, State Company). It was opened on 8 June 2001.
The route of the Radegast Nature Trail leads through 2 districts (Vsetín and Nový Jičín) and the cadastres of the villages of Trojanovíce, Prostřední Bečva and Dolní Bečva. The length of the route is 9 km (2-3 hour walk) and has an elevation difference of 160 m. The Radegast Nature Trail has a total of 10 stops:

1	Introductory board – shows the route of the Nature Trail	6	Radhošť mountain - history, Cyril and Method
2	Pustevny-history, folk architecture	7	Settlement and pastoralism – Walachia colonization, pastoralism
3	Geology and geomorphology - orography, geological development, cave bat	8	Radhošť flora and fauna
4	Radegast – statue and history	9	Forest ecology – description of the forests here and the significance of a forest
5	Radhošť National Natural Reservation - information	10	Forestry– manner of forestry and species composition

The Pustevny information board at the “Mořské oko” (Sea Eye) natural wonder and the information board at the largest pseudo-karst cave of Cyrilka tie in with the Radegast Nature Trail. The information board on the introduction to the “Čertův mlýn” (Devil’s Mill) Nature Trail from Pustevny at Martiňák (cadastre office of Horní Bečva) is located at the entrance to the Kněhyně - Čertův mlýn National Natural Reservation, in the direction of the Čertův mlýn peak.

Introductory board – shows the route of the Nature Trail (1)
Two nature trails start at Pustevny that try to educate about the natural wonders and history of these locations.
The Radegast Nature Trail starts 200 m higher and leads along the ridge of Radhošť to the chapel, from where it returns to Pustevny along a different route. It has a total of 10 stops.
Čertův mlýn Nature Trail, the first board of which you are standing at, leads in the opposite direction along the red tourist signs over the slopes of the Čertův mlýn massif. It passes under the ski jumps, along the Mořské oko (Sea Eye) lake, continues under the National Natural Reservation (NNR) of Kněhyně - Čertův mlýn and the Klín Natural Reservation to the cottage at Martiňák. The nature trail has a total of 9 stops. The route is approximately 7 km long and does not have great changes in elevation.

Pustevny-history, folk architecture (2)
The name of Pustevny originated from the hermits (poustevníky in Czech) who lived here (the last of these, called Felix, died in 1784) the Radhošť mountain union had several buildings built here including the shelter called Pustevně (1891), also the Cyrilka lookout tower and the Šumná, Maměnka and Libušín shelters and the Wallachian bell tower, which were all built according to the instructions of Dušan Jurkovíč and today are a national cultural monument. In 1926 a more modern shelter was built called Tanečníca.
Pustevny are a centre for sporting events, winter sports, are the starting point of many hiking routes and the Mountain rescue service resides here.

Geology and geomorphology - orography, geological development, cave bats (3)
The area is part of the Radhošť highlands of the Moravia-Silesia Beskydy. It is part of the West Carpathian flysch belt, which belongs to the geologically young mountain range created during the end of the Mesozoic era and in the Tertiary era from the sediments of the sea named Tethys. Radhošť peak consists of sandstones, and to a smaller extent conglomerates and argillite. The Beskydy pseudo-karst is noteworthy, a fissure and fault cave, which was called stalactite and stalagmite decorations. Created during the tertiary, underground movements are being registered up until today. 6 caves have been described on the ridge of Radhošť. Many myths and legends are tied to them (e.g. The Orphan in Radhošť). The caves served the shepherds as cool basements for storing sheep products, and in time, they also served rebels as hiding places. They are closed off due to the danger that comes from constant movement and the presence of bats. 4-6 species winter here, the rarest being the lesser horseshoe bat – a critically endangered species.

Radegast – statue and history (4)
Radhošť is the most famous Beskydy peak. It is named after the pagan god – Radgosta – god of hospitality, fertility and plenty (according to others the god of the sun and also war). Opinions vary as to his historical appearance. The most well known, which stands on the Radhošť ridge, is by Albín Polášek from 1930. A new copy made from granite was created in 1998. A second statue, the same one, stands in the Prague zoo.

Radhošť National Natural Reservation - information (5)
It was created in 1955 on an area of 145 ha. Its objective is the protection of the natural fir-beech vegetation (the oldest beeches are about 200 years old) and spruce-beech vegetation growing on the upper part of Radhošť. Herbs include bear’s garlic, hollow corydale, wood anemone, common snowdrop, Martagon lily, oxlip, chickweed wintergreen and a number of other herbs. Animals that can be observed here include the stock pigeon, grey-faced woodpecker, white-backed woodpecker, red-breasted flycatcher, collared flycatcher, common raven, nutcracker, European ring ouzel, viviparous lizard, and the common viper. The Eurasian lynx is a large beast of prey that lives here year round, Sometimes even the brown bear can be seen. The peak contains natural spruce-beech vegetation – spruce creates so-called flag formations here. Dwarf mountain pine was planted here around 1930 – it is not native to Radhošť.

Radhošť mountain - history, Cyril and Method (6)
Radhošť mountain, from time immemorial, is a place where people gathered for various celebrations, from pagan rituals, through Christian pilgrimages, to national – being freed gatherings. Legends say that the statue of the pagan god Radegast was knocked down and buried after the coming of Cyril and Method to Moravia in the 9th century. A symbol of Christianity was put in its place – a cross, which stands there up until today. In 1898, a chapel in the Byzantine style was built on the peak. During 1924 – 1926, a wooden bell tower was built and then the entire chapel was covered with shingles. The Radhošť Foundation built bronze sculptures of St. Cyril and Method in 1930. Albín Polášek created the sculptures. The bell tower was repaired in 2000.

Settlement and pastoralism – Walachia colonization, pastoralism (7)
The original forest that covered the region started to change during the 15th to the 17th centuries with the Walachia colonization and the expansion of pastoral farming from the valley up to the mountain peaks. Sheep grazed on Radhošť and there were many chalets here. At the end of the 18th century, alpine farming was on the decline with the development of industry – meadows and pastures again became covered with forests. Willow gentian, maiden pink, Potentilla aurea, and other species of herbs grow in meadows. Even a lot of blueberries grow here.

Radhošť flora and fauna (8)
As elevation drops the amount of beech increases and spruce-beechwood, fir-beechwood, and sycamore beechwood also appear. One can find sweet woodruff, wood anemone, and the May lily in the undergrowth. The common snowdrop, hollow corydale, alternate-leaved golden-saxifrage gullpudra, Aconitum firum moravicum, and Isopyrum thalictroides grow in damp locations. Sycamore maples and ash trees grow on the slopes along streams. Typical representatives of mammals are the marten, fox, roe deer and red deer. We can also see the Eurasian badger, along with the timid Eurasian lynx whose territory is here. The forest dormouse and the rare northern birch mouse are rodents that live here. More and more often the brown bear can been seen in the Radhošť highlands. The hazel grouse and the white-backed woodpecker are birds that will capture your attention.

Forest ecology – description of the forests here and the significance of a forest (9)
Extensive forests belong to the character of the Beskydy landscape. Before the Walachia colonization, the mountains were covered with barely accessible, primarily fir-beech primeval forest. In these forests, trees were felled (for building settlements) via so-called selective logging. After the expansion of breeding sheep, large parts of forests were utilized for pasturage and gathering bedding material – this led to the thinning of vegetation, particularly with regard to the composition of the vegetation and the decline of some species of herbs and woody plants. With the beginning of industrial production (glass works, iron works, steel works) wood was utilized for the production of coal and paper. The increased demand for wood resulted in the basic spruce monoculture. The spruce was expanded to cover large areas during the last century and this century, even to areas to where it was not a native plant. Currently, it makes up about 70% of the Beskydy CHKO forests.

Forestry– manner of forestry and species composition (10)
It is necessary to exercise an ecosystem concept (forestry) towards forests that will leave room for the forces of nature. One cannot look at a forest just as a renewable source of raw materials, but also as an environment for many plant and animal species. The basic prerequisite for increasing biological diversity is to change the species composition by increasing the amount of the original leafy trees (European beech, sycamore maple, European ash, wych elm) and the silvergran that were present. Another important step is to create a more diverse structure of the vegetation in which various ages will alternate in one area.

| Author: MÚ Rožnov p/R | Date of publication 21. 07. 2004 | 11800 Read |