Near Zvolen, a grove of 400-year-old oaks has survived

Gavurky has around 600 old oak trees and is one of the few remaining Pannonian groves in Slovakia.

Central Slovakia is home to a landscape of ancient oaks and rare wildlife, including reptiles, birds and hundreds of species of insects.

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Gavurky, near the village of Dobrá Niva, not far from Zvolen, is the largest preserved Pannonian oak grove in Slovakia. Around 600 English oaks, ranging from 200 to 400 years old, stand across nearly 70 hectares. The land was once used as pasture for cattle, sheep, goats and horses.

“They were created because, in the past, people had to make the most of the land they lived on,” Dominika Fugger of the civil association Lesmír told public-service broadcaster STVR. “This way, they combined grazing with collecting wood.”