Vidnava Lowland

Vidnava Lowland
Vidnavské mokřiny Nature Reserve
Highest point
Peaka contour line
Elevation351 m (1,152 ft)
Dimensions
Area160 km2 (62 mi2)
Geography
Vidnava Lowland in the geomorphological system of the Czech Republic
Countries
Poland, Czech Republic
Opole, Lower Silesian/
Olomouc
Range coordinates
50°25′N 17°2′E / 50.417°N 17.033°E / 50.417; 17.033
Parent rangeSudeten Foreland
Geology
Rock type(s)Loam, clay

The Vidnava Lowland (Czech: Vidnavská nížina, Polish: Przedgórze Paczkowskie) is a lowland and geomorphological mesoregion in Poland and in the Czech Republic. It is located in the Sudeten Foreland macroregion.

Geomorphology

Vidnava Lowland in the geomorphological system of Poland

The Vidnava Lowland is a mesoregion of the Sudeten Foreland within the Bohemian Massif. The relief was formed mainly by the movement of the Quaternary glacier. There are glacial erratics in the area.[1] Vertical movements of the earth's crust allowed the lowland to deepen compared to the surroundings.[2]

The landscape is slightly undulating, without notable hills. The highest point of the lowland is a contour line at 351 m (1,152 ft) above sea level, located near Vlčice, where the lowland borders the Golden Mountains.

Geology

The bedrock is composed mainly of Tertiary and Quaternary sediments (loams, clays).[1][3]

There was once a wide river in the area. Its banks were made of kaolin, which was formed by the weathering of Paleozoic granite. Kaolin was mined here.[2]

Geography

The Vidnava Lowland is located mostly in the Opole Voivodeship (Poland) and Olomouc Region (Czech Republic), only a small part in the west extends into the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. The lowland extends from Paczków in its northwestern part to Vidnava in its southeastern part.

The Vidnava Lowland has an area of about 160 km2 (62 sq mi), of which 47 km2 (18 sq mi) is in the Czech Republic. Within the Czech Republic, it has an average elevation of 270 m (890 ft).[4]

There are no significant watercourses. The area is drained by the streams Vidnávka (Polish: Widna) and Raczyna (Czech: Račí potok). Both are tributaries of the Eastern Neisse River, which flows along the northern border of the territory, just outside the territory.

Nature

The landscape is predominantly agricultural. The only protected area is the Vidnavské mokřiny Nature Reserve, located in the easternmost part of the lowland. The nature reserve has an area of 32.0 ha (79 acres). The subject of protection are peat and wetland meadows with endangered and protected plant species (mainly rigid bogmoss) and animals (mainly dusky large blue).[5] A similarly defined area of 38.1 ha (94 acres) is protected as a Special Area of Conservation.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Vidnavská nížina". Lexikon tvarů reliéfu České republiky (in Czech). Palacký University Olomouc. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  2. 1 2 "Vznik krajiny Vidnavska" (in Czech). Městské kulturní zařízení Jeseník. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  3. 1 2 "Vidnavské mokřiny" (in Czech). Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  4. ↑ "Geomorfologické celky ČR podle rozlohy – v Čechách, na Moravě a ve Slezsku v km2". Treking.cz (in Czech). 2009-12-15. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  5. ↑ "Vidnavské mokřiny" (in Czech). Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic. Retrieved 2026-04-30.