Moravian-Silesian Region – Castles, Mountains and Water

The Moravian-Silesian Region combines mountain landscapes, protected river floodplains, technical monuments, castles and special excursion destinations. When planning your trip, you can choose between nature experiences in the Jeseníky and Beskydy Mountains, water activities at Slezská Harta, culture in Ostrava and historical discoveries in smaller towns.

Landscapes between mountains, river floodplains and viewpoints

The six highlighted visitor areas of Jeseníky, Beskydy, Poodří, Ostrava, Opavské Slezsko and Těšínské Slezsko showcase the region’s different sides. Poodří is a protected landscape area in the Moravian-Silesian Region and lies in the flat floodplain of the Odra. Meadows, scattered groves, naturally meandering sections of the Odra and almost 70 ponds shape this landscape.

In the east and south, viewpoints provide another way to experience the landscape. From Velký Roudný, the view extends towards the Hrubý Jeseník and Nízký Jeseník Mountains, Krnovsko and Opavsko, the Beskydy Mountains and the Oderské vrchy Hills. The Rešov Waterfalls, on the other hand, are a national natural monument in a gorge through which the Huntava stream flows.

Compare hiking and mountain regions in practical terms

The Beskydy Mountains offer two clearly described options for planning a hike from Pustevny. The Radhošťská ovčí dálnice is a 4-kilometre ridge trail via the Cyrilka viewpoint and the Radegast statue to Radhošť. The Beskydská horská stezka runs for 8.2 kilometres, with nine stops, from Pustevny to Martiňák. The different trail lengths help you assess the options for your day plan without treating the routes as equivalent.

The Jeseníky Mountains offer mountain trails for hiking, cycling and cross-country skiing, as well as downhill ski slopes. In Karlova Studánka, you will find a village conservation area with wooden and wood-clad buildings, excursions to the waterfalls of the Bílá Opava and easy walking routes in the immediate surroundings.

Castles, industry and living history

Hukvaldy Castle is one of the largest castles in Moravia. From the tower viewpoint, you can see towards the Beskydy ridges and the towns of Kopřivnice, Příbor and Ostrava. In Ostrava, tours of Dolní Vítkovice take you through the blast-furnace complex and the history of iron production up to the Bolt Tower. The Moravian-Silesian Technical Trail connects 30 sites; the individual complexes can be visited by bicycle, as cycle paths run close to the facilities.

Other destinations highlight different aspects of history: The complex of Czechoslovak fortifications in Darkovičky is a military and technical monument of the Czechoslovak defence system built before the Second World War. The Důl Michal mine preserves, among other things, a chain changing room, a recreation room and a lamp room. In Loučky, the Wesselsky watermill still has a functioning millrace and an almost 5-metre water wheel. The museum in Bruntál is located in a chateau and displays an original interior collection during guided tours.

Water, a narrow-gauge railway and regional specialties

In addition to swimming, Slezská Harta offers boating, fishing, sailing and windsurfing. The Po vulkanitech educational trail runs along both sides of the reservoir. The Odra is also of interest to paddlers: from its confluence with the Budišovka, it is navigable seasonally, and from Suchdol nad Odrou, all year round.

Osoblazsko combines a quiet, partly hilly landscape with the Třemešná–Osoblaha narrow-gauge railway. This line is the only railway of its kind in Silesia and offers excursion rides with a real steam locomotive and tourist carriages. For a more relaxing experience, there are also the iodine-bromine spas in Karviná-Darkov and Klimkovice, as well as the herbal spas and wellness centre in Komorní Lhotka.

Choose accommodation according to your preferred focus

When searching for accommodation, it helps to decide first what you want to focus on during your days: mountain trails in the Jeseníky and Beskydy Mountains, water activities at Slezská Harta, industrial culture in Ostrava or historical destinations such as castles, mills and fortifications. For orientation within the region, you can also explore Opava District, Ostrava-City District, Bruntál District, Frýdek-Místek District, Nový Jičín District and Karviná District.

Getting around by regional transport

The integrated ODIS transport system accepts regional, short-term and long-term tickets on participating trains and also includes suburban buses and urban public transport. ČD routes integrated into the ODIS system run, among other places, to Budišov nad Budišovkou, Hradec nad Moravicí and Ostravice. This means that when choosing where to stay, you can also consider the connections you want between landscapes, culture and excursions.

More travel destinations

More places within the same destination:

Olomouc, Central Bohemia.