Since 1991, there has been a national park of 6 300 hectares on the Czech side of the river Thaya, between Frein and Znaim, the "Národny park Podyji". Since then, the idea of creating one cross-border national park out of two existing nature reserves with a further 1 300 hectares has been maturing.
Steep wooded slopes and romantic winding rivers that cut deep into the plateau coin the picture of this landscape worth conservation. Along the rivers, mixed deciduous forests dominate, lime block forests in glens are considered as a unique feature. The extensively cultivated, low-nutrient meadows are mainly dry. Rare species of orchid, such as the Green-winged Orchid or the Purple Orchid grow on dry meadows. The White Stork looks for food in the meadows, the rare Black Stork lives in the forests, and the Eagle Owl breeds on the rocks.
