The Beskydy Mountains located in the Moravian-Silesian Region in the east of the Czech Republic is a beautiful mountain range and also a part of the Europe’s Carpathian Mountains.

With their large area, they are the largest protected nature reserve in the Czech Republic and besides their natural beauty, they also offer a wide range of historical folk architecture, namely wood-built churches and also residential houses. The nature reserve CHKO Beskydy was founded in 1973 and covers altogether three ranges; The Moravian-Silesian Beskydy Mountains, The Javorniky Mountains and The Hostynsko-Vsetinske Mountains.

All the peaks are covered in trees and they are quite rounded without almost any visible and sharp rocks. Exactly 32 mountains are higher than 3 280 ft and the highest one, which is called The Lysa Hora (The Bald Mountain), is 4 340 ft high. Other famous mountais are The Smrk (The Spruce), The Travny (The Grassed) or The Radhost. Most of these mountains are divided with very deep valleys so it looks like they are higher than they really are.

The area is also rich in cultural monuments. The Hukvaldy Castle was built probably in 1234 and so it is the oldest castle in the area. In 1539 the emperor Ferdinand I ordered to demolish The Roznov castle but its ruins still remain at their original place. A must-see destination is The Kunin Palace built in baroque style during the 18th century.

Another remarkable thing about The Beskydy Mountains in the local folk culture significant with cimbalom music and dancing in beautiful folk costumes under the roofs of wooden cottages surrounded by pure nature. However, the region used to be quite poor in comparison to the others, and so, without the money for professional sculptors, architects or masters of trades, the locals had to do everything on their own. These days, we can usually see only some preserved buildings. The best way to taste the culture is visiting the Wallachian Open Air Museum which is also the biggest open-air museum in the Czech Republic.

For more information about the Moravian-Silesian Region where this place is located click here.