The Carpathian Mountains, spanning from eastern Czechia through southern Poland, Slovakia and eastern Ukraine to Romania, are one of the least known mountainous diversity hotspots in Europe. Besides a unique diversity of endemic species and vegetation units, they also host numerous relicts from various time periods and had likely served as an important refugium for the boreal and temperate biota. For decades, the Carpathians have attracted botanists from surrounding countries, and their interest is not diminishing. This issue of Folia Geobotanica summarizes research presented at a joint conference of the Czech and Slovak Botanical Societies, held in the autumn of 2016 in Prague. The event was focused on describing Carpathian plant diversity from various angles, ranging from historical and floristic aspects to genetic variation and the structure of plant communities. The contributions made at this conference constitute the main body of the present issue.