Arboretum Střední lesnické školy v Hranicích Park

Arboretum Střední lesnické školy v Hranicích presents a unique collection of domestic and exotic trees at the foot of North Moravia, at an altitude of 250-263 metres. It lies close to the village Hranice and occupies an area of 3,07 hectares. In its current form, around 225 species of wood are grown between which conifers (65 species, about 450 specimens) and leafy trees and shrubs (160 species, around 600 specimens) prevail.

The origin of the arboretum is inextricably linked to the history of the forestry school. The educational facility was first located in Usov from 1852, but in 1896 it moved to Hranice. In the period after the move, the arboreta project was created - collections of trees and shrubs intended for teaching pupils. The original project was developed by the leading garden architect František Thomayer, whose name is also mentioned in the central concept: sets, gardens and functional elements of the park were intended to serve the educational purposes of the school. In addition to the school buildings and the residential house, the elements were set that existed years before the war.

World War II has become disastrous for the arboretum. Forestry school was closed, professors and pupils went to Přerova and German management occupied the school. The occupation administration decided to change the park drastically: the most beautiful part ordered it to be destroyed. Trees and shrubs were ripped out of the ground and dumped in a pile of gasoline and lit. The original nurseries disappeared, were also removed all labels and names of plants. Rozarium, flower beds and some other modifications have disappeared. In a place where rare species had previously grown, the occupants created a training ground and grew vegetables and potatoes for military purposes.

The natural disaster, which is supposed to have caused the greatest damage without human intervention, was the wind storm on March 9, 1990. It damaged a significant number of trees and returned to the already burdensome state of the arboretum after the war. Gradually, over the following years, there was reconstruction and redesign. During the winter of 1928-1929, even before the war, many trees and bushes were decimated by exotic species of strong frost.

Today, domestic and remaining exotic species take turns in arboretum - approximately half of the species come from the domestic region. Part of the revitalization is the upcoming project "Teaching Botanical-Geological Rock." Thus, the Arboretum continues its original mission: educational, didactic and educational function for visitors and students. The fact that at the beginning of the 21st century there were around 105 plant generations with more than 225 species - an expression of resilience and reblooming after difficult periods - is evidence of a lasting effort to preserve the wealth of flowers.