White Carpathians

The White Carpathians (Biele Karpaty) are a low mountain range along the border between Slovakia and the Czech Republic, forming part of the Outer Western Carpathians. The area is recognised for its biodiversity, including species-rich calcareous grasslands and traditional rural landscapes.

Hiking trails and low-altitude summits provide walking access, and the range supports small-scale agriculture, orchards and pastures rather than alpine tourism infrastructure. The landscape is especially noted for diverse wildflower meadows in spring and summer.

Protection measures on both sides of the border include designated landscape and nature reserves established to conserve habitats and traditional land use practices; this has limited large-scale development and preserved cultural and natural features over the 20th century.

The White Carpathians sit along Slovakia’s western border in the Nitra Region, forming a natural frontier with the Czech Republic and reachable from regional towns and rural roads.

• Conservation status: The range is protected by national and cross-border landscape protections and is valued for species-rich meadows and traditional orchard and pasture landscapes.

What to See #

• Veľká Javorina (summit): The summit area on the Slovak-Czech border reaching about 970 metres and offering hiking trails that cross the international frontier.